


Keeper of the Keywielders

by BlissfulNightRain



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, Friendship, OC, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-03-08 09:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 44,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18892039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlissfulNightRain/pseuds/BlissfulNightRain
Summary: Amaya was just being logical when she told her brother and their friends that their raft idea was a bad one. Of course, none of that matters when the Islands disappear. Separated from friends and family, she must overcome her fears and control her awakened abilities on her journey to reunite with her loved ones, and uncover Kairi's mysterious past along the way. Current arc: KH1. Cross-posted on FF.net.





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Wow, Grandma! Look at all these colorful dandelions!" The little boy let go of the older woman's hand; the soles of his black shoes gripped the cobbled pathway as he squatted next to the bed of vibrant flowers lining the gates of the palace. They were in full blossom, as was nearly every plant or shrub that surrounded them.

It was yet another perfect spring day in Radiant Garden.

"They certainly look like dandelions, don't they, child?" the woman said gently while lovingly observing her grandson as he continued to examine them with wonder in his indigo eyes. "But these are asters. And if you ask me, they're quite the magical flower."

"Magical?" the boy asked. He peeked up at his grandmother curiously, anticipating another one of her legendary tales.

Slowly, she bent down next to his level. With her frail hand, she plucked a flower and held it close to her nose, drinking it its scent. "They say that if you give an aster flower to someone that you love dearly, then you will never, ever forget about that person – even if you are driven worlds apart from them." She handed the flower over to the boy, who accepted it gingerly.

"But…I could never forget you, Grandma."

"And you will always be here in my heart, love," she reassured him, affectionately stroking his black hair. "No matter what." A small grin appeared on his face as he twiddled its petals between his small fingers.

"I should pick some of these for Kairi!" he said suddenly, turning his attention back to the flowerbed. "You think she'll like these?"

The old woman's eyes crinkled as she smiled at the boy once more.

"I think your little sister would love them."

* * *

Three young children were playing on the beach. A little girl with the two black ponytails stood as a referee at the make-shift finish line. The two other boys raced each other down the shore, flecks of sand flying in their wake as their feet hurriedly struck the ground.

The taller boy won by a mere difference of two steps.

"You just got lucky!" complained the younger boy, stomping in frustration.

"Nuh-uh, I won fair and square," teased the older boy, sticking his tongue out. "Right, Amaya?"

"Rules are rules," shrugged the girl, clearly indifferent to the situation.

"Hmph! Well, this one settles it, Riku!"

"Not again, Sora," the girl whined, as she watched two boys heedlessly run back off to the starting line.

Occupied by their shenanigans, the children were oblivious to the strange young woman seated on the trunk of the paopu tree, observing them in amusement. She couldn't help but chuckle at the young girl's annoyance at the other two. It was almost like looking into a mirror.

"This really takes me back to those times," she mused. "Terra, Aqua, Ven…"

* * *

 **A/N:**  Welcome to my headcanon, folks. Strap in, y'all are in for one hell of a ride.

Chapter 1 is up next, so I'll leave more substantial comments there~


	2. I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amaya's looking forward to a relaxing summer vacation, though Riku and Sora have other ideas...And what's with this strange dream Kairi has been having?

The night was young. The stars danced in the sky, glistening harmoniously as the moon illuminated them further with its radiance.

A boy sat along the seashore, admiring the show they were putting on as he contemplated what it would be like to be among them. He observed his surroundings; the familiar salty scent of the ocean, the usual sound of crashing waves, the unremarkable effervescence of the sand.

" _It's always the same around here,"_  he thought to himself. The island, considered a paradise by many of its inhabitants, seemed almost like a prison to him.

He knew there had to be much more to see there, in the outside world.

"Oh, Riku!" a voice called out, breaking the boy's train of thought. His heart skipped a beat, instantly recognizing the person even before turning his head to see her.

"Kairi," he responded, waving. Even in the dimness of the moonlight, he could make out her short auburn hair and the sparkle in her indigo eyes.

"What're you doing out here?" she inquired, sauntering over towards him.

"Just looking at the stars," he admitted casually, turning shyly away from her gaze. She giggled at his response.

"Kind of takes me back to when we were kids," she recalled. "All of us would sit here on the shore almost every night, talking about how we'd go and see all the worlds out there."

Riku couldn't help but crack a smile at the mention of the memory.  _"She still remembers it, too…"_

"We had some pretty wild imaginations back then, huh?" she concluded with another giggle.

"Well, you come from another world, don't you?" Riku recalled the night of the meteor shower, now about ten years ago since she had mysteriously arrived. And with her came the hope that he would one day leave this place – proof that there was something beyond.

That, as well as that secret promise he had sworn to keep.

"Yeah, but like I tell you and Sora all the time, it's not like I remember anything about it," Kairi responded, shrugging. "Anyway, it's pretty late. I should get going!"

"Why are you out right now, anyway?" Riku asked, attempting to hide his disappointment at not being able to press the subject a little further.

"Ah, well, speaking of Sora, I was just over his place," Kairi explained.

"Oh? And you didn't invite me?" he retorted lightheartedly with a smirk.

He had to mask the twinge of envy simmering underneath the façade.

"Well, I was actually hanging out with Amaya," Kairi explained, much to Riku's relief. "Newest episode of that crime drama was on! Figured we'd kick back since tomorrow's the last day of school and all."

"Right…"

"Anyway, I'm gonna head back! See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see ya then."

"You should get going soon, too," she said with a grin, as she turned to go on her way. He watched her walk off before turning his attention once more to the night sky.

Summer vacation was just around the corner, and this was going to be one to remember.

* * *

The ocean was almost stagnant, save for the gentle waves created by soft, perpetual breeze of Destiny Islands. The leaves of the abundant palm trees swayed, and the rays of the beaming sun illuminated the great blue sky over the dozens of islands and islets that made up the world – as it always did.

It was near noon, and the sounds of children playing permeated the "Play Island". The youngest kids hung around the coast on the cove, building sand castles and collecting seashells. A handful of girls sat on the small islet with the paopu tree, eagerly gossiping and giggling among one another. The loudest group of all was the boys rowdily playing blitzball along the shore, yelling and tackling one another with more intensity with every play.

It was the first official day of summer vacation.

Despite all the noise and clamor, one girl decided to perch herself up on her usual spot—the dock where the rowing boats were kept. Her legs dangled off the edge and over the crisp ocean water and her nose buried in a book, jade green eyes fervently scanning each page. It wasn't the most riveting novella she'd read, but it was summer homework – something that needed to be done before she could engage in all the seasonal frivolities with her friends.

She had just reached the half-way point of the book when she heard a voice yell out her name.

"Oi, Amaya, watch out!" She turned her head to her left where the noise was coming from, where she saw a blue and white striped ball spiraling in her direction. At the speed it was hurling at, she only had mere moments to make a move to escape its trajectory. The adrenaline rushed through her veins almost instantaneously.

Before she had to make any hasty decisions, a shadowy figure swiftly rose up to spike the ball, redirecting its path to the ground. Sand flew around the ball's landing sight like a small cloud, momentarily obstructing her view of her savior. But she didn't need a closer look to recognize this person – she could pick out her younger brother's spiky, chestnut brown hair anywhere.

"Thanks, Sora," she sighed in relief, book clutched to her chest.

"Ah, no worries, Sis!" he responded, flashing her a wide grin.

"Sorry 'bout that, Amaya!" yelled the voice that had initially warned her. It belonged to none other than Wakka, who was now jogging to retrieve the ball from Sora. "Guess I don't know my own strength!"

"More like you gotta learn how to aim!" taunted Tidus, the sandy-haired boy who was running alongside him.

"Ay, man, I thought we were on the same team!"

"We are, and that ball was headed straight out-of-bounds!" Tidus retorted, giving Wakka a small shove. "Come on, that's one of the most basic rules!"

" _Following the basic rules would also mean playing it underwater…"_ Amaya thought to herself, slightly annoyed that they had to be playing so close to where she wanted to be reading. Of course, it couldn't be helped. With school closed and the price of a proper gym membership being so high, this was their only option.

"Ah, don't worry about it," said the fourth boy in the group with a wink. "Just keep playing the way you are, it's fine by us."

"Watch it, Riku!" Tidus pouted, as Sora ran to give his teammate a high-five.

"Yeah, yeah," Sora retorted. "Let's get back in the game so we can finish whooping you guys!" He ran back towards the "goal" area, readying himself in position to toss the ball back into play.

"Heh, you're only up by a goal so far, I think it's a bit early for the trash talk," smirked Wakka, returning to his position.

Amaya decided to turn back to her book for the time being. Luckily enough, she had her fingers on the page she'd left off on before the ball came whirling in her direction. It took her a few seconds to find her spot before becoming instantly engrossed in the words once more.

She didn't make it much further before she heard her name being called once more.

This time, the warning was fruitless.

Before she knew it, that wretched ball hit her square in the shoulder.  _Hard._ And that wasn't even the worst part.

"No!" she yelped. She could only watch helplessly as the book slipped out of her fingers, plummeting into the ocean water below. It disappeared under the seafoam for a moment, before floating back up to the top as the waves carried it down the shore.

"Sis! You okay?!" yelled a concerned Sora, running up to the dock. She could hear Tidus and Wakka's yelled apologies off in the distance.

She inadvertently cupped her hand to the spot on her shoulder where the ball had hit her; a dull pain radiated. "I'm fine, but…" she sighed dejectedly, her eyes still locked on the rogue book. It continued to drift downstream, until a gloved hand stopped it in its tracks.

"You know, reading over there might not have been one of your best ideas," observed Riku, shaking out the excess water from the pages.

"You don't need to tell me twice," she huffed as she got up to make her way over to him.

On any normal day, the islet wasn't usually so packed, and the dock was one of the most peaceful places to relax and meditate. With the change in seasons, it seemed that Amaya would have to find a temporary new location for her reading. She began to ponder where she would go as she and Sora approached Riku, who was now examining the book cover.

"Isn't this…our summer assignment?" he asked, cocking up an eyebrow as she approached him.

"But it's the first day of break!" exclaimed Wakka, as he and Tidus joined them.

"I just wanted to get it out of the way," she explained, snatching the book from his grasp. She quickly flipped through the pages to assess the damage. Much to her chagrin, its ink had leaked everywhere, the words now illegible. She sighed once more before placing it into the satchel tied around her waist for later disposal.

"So, what, you gonna take the boat back home?" asked Sora, leaning back and resting his head in his arms.

"Nah, I guess I'll just get started on the other one," she replied, pulling a second, thicker book from the satchel. Wakka's jaw dropped even further.

"Might want to find a better place to sit," Riku suggested, amused.

"Like I said, don't have to tell me twice," she responded, rolling her eyes as she accepted the unfortunate situation. "I guess I'll just head over to the cove or something if you need me, Sora."

"'Kay!" Sora replied.

"Sorry again 'bout the book, Amaya," said Wakka, with a guilty expression on his face.

"It happens," she responded with a forgiving smile. "Riku, I'm borrowing your copy."

"Fine!" he called after her as she went on her way.

Summer vacation was off to a  _fantastic_  start.

* * *

It was near sunset by the time Amaya finished the second book. It wasn't the most riveting thing she'd read – just an autobiography of a previous government official – but she was happy to have gotten it out of the way. It was nearly time to go home, where she could begin working on her book report and be done with that half of the assignment at least.

"Oh, there you are, Amaya!" She turned to see none other than Kairi walking up to her. "I was wondering where you were when I didn't see you on the dock."

"Hey, Kairi," she greeted with a smile. "Sorry, I was a little preoccupied."

"Yeah, Sora and Riku told me," Kairi explained with a giggle.

"What've you been up to all day?"

"I actually just got here. My dad had some really big meeting at the Town Hall today, and he wanted me and Mom to be there for it."

"How was it?" inquired Amaya, as Kairi took a seat next to her.

"Pretty boring, to be honest," she lamented. "I guess the food was good, though!"

"Oh the woes of being the Mayor's daughter," chuckled Amaya. "Hope you don't have to do too much more of the 'official' business while we're on break."

"It'll happen when it happens, I guess," Kairi shrugged. "I always find out about these things like the night before from the maids. They're all over my room, picking out outfits and accessories and all that jazz."

"Someone going through my stuff like that would give me so much anxiety," said Amaya with a cringe. Everything in her bedroom had to be neatly organized and kept in its precise location when not in use. Days when the delicate balance was disrupted did not go as smoothly to say the least.

"Doesn't really bother me! They end up moving things wherever they want to anyway." Kairi's rather carefree attitude was one Amaya couldn't relate to. "So, it looks like pretty much everyone left for the day. Sora and Riku are the only ones back over on the shore."

"Oh?" Now that she examined her surroundings, Amaya noticed that there was no one in sight. All the children playing there earlier must have returned home while she was engrossed in her assignment.

"Yeah, they were busy sparring, but they did say something about it being their last round. Wanna go join them?"

"You know it's never their 'last' round," Amaya responded, getting up to follow Kairi. "How do those two have so much energy all the time?"

They found the boys along the shore. The two were laying on their backs, panting heavily. Their wooden swords lay between them.

"The score's…4 to 6…for the day," gasped Sora, before jolting back up. "Come on, let's go for one more round!"

"Even if you beat me, I'll still be up by a point," retorted Riku with a smirk.

"We'll pick it up tomorrow!" responded Sora, with a wooden sword now grasped in his hand.

"Don't you think you'd have better odds of beating him after some rest?" Amaya interjected. "If you lose now, you're just going to be at a bigger disadvantage when you do pick it up tomorrow."

"Hey! Who said I was going to lose?"

"I said 'if'!"

"Let's just drop it for the day," Riku shrugged. Before Sora could protest, he continued, "Now that Kairi's here, there's actually something I wanted to talk to you guys about."

"Oh? And what's that about?" asked Kairi.

"Let's talk about it up there, in case someone else shows up over here," he replied, gesturing to the islet with the paopu tree.

Amaya had no idea what to expect their conversation would be about, as the three followed him up the creaky stairs in the little wooden shack, and across the rickety bridge to the tiny islet. They all took a seat on the trunk of the tree, except for Riku who stood ahead, gazing at the sunset. The sky was painted with soft hues of red, gold and purple, which were reflected across the glimmering surface of the ocean water. The point where the setting sun met the horizon was the brightest, almost obscuring the view of the Main Island in the distance.

" _It's been a while since I've seen this view…"_  Amaya thought to herself.

"So, what did ya bring us up here for, Riku?" asked Sora in anticipation.

"This is like those secret meetings we used to have up here," reminisced Kairi.

"Actually, it's exactly like that," Riku responded, finally turning to face the rest of the group.

"Complete with coming up with a plan to somehow, some way end up in another world?" Amaya chuckled, recalling how the four once eagerly raved on and on about the topic almost any chance they got.

Of course, she knew better now.

"…Yeah, that's exactly right," Riku replied, seeming to ignore the three befuddled stares he was now receiving.

"What are you trying to say?" Amaya inquired, eyebrows raised. Riku came closer, positioning himself between Sora and Kairi's dangling legs as he leaned back against the tree trunk.

"I'm saying…this summer, let's do it. Let's go to another world."

"You can't exactly book a ferry and get to one." Amaya was thoroughly taken aback; while it wasn't uncommon for the group to come up with imaginary stories or grand fantasy plans while they were children, she was under the impression that they had grown past those topics. They were adolescents now, and with that was supposed to come the maturity and common sense to know that those ideas were mere dreams. Sure, other worlds existed – she'd had enough strange encounters in her life to prove that. But the idea that they could simply wander across the universe, without some sort of known tool or technique to somehow traverse the worlds? It was preposterous.

The fact that it was coming from Riku's mouth, of all people, was even more surprising. She always knew him to be the level-headed one in their circle.

"I know that," he retorted with a huff.

"So, how exactly would we get there?" Kairi asked gently.

"Well, I've been doing some thinking – "

"Clearly," Amaya sarcastically muttered under her breath. Riku paid her no heed.

" – and I remembered a conversation that I had with Tidus a couple of month ago," he finished.

"You mean when he told us what his dad said?" Sora asked. Amaya and Kairi exchanged confused glances, unfamiliar with the story.

"Yeah," Riku responded. "Remember that headline a couple of months ago, where those fishermen got lost in the hurricane? Tidus' dad was part of the rescue team for them."

"They found them about a couple weeks later floating in a lifeboat, right?" Amaya recalled. "The ship was totally wrecked." The Island's news outlets covered the story endlessly. Some of her classmates took prolonged absences from school, shell-shocked over the unknown fate of their fathers who were thought to have perished at sea, their only remnants thought to be the flotsam that washed ashore. Their reappearance was considered a miracle.

"Yep."

"So what does that have to do with any of this?" Kairi inquired.

"The barrier wall," Sora interjected with a gasp.

"Bingo," Riku replied with a nod.

"'Barrier wall?'" Amaya parroted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It wasn't released in the news, but this is according to what Tidus' dad told him: Apparently, what destroyed the fishing boat wasn't the wind or rain or even tidal waves from the storm." Kairi and Amaya leaned in, listening intently. "They got lost trying to navigate during the storm, and the boat just kept drifting and getting pushed and pulled in every direction until it finally crashed…into an invisible wall."

"Yeah," Sora started, "he told us that they said the ocean waves kept flowing past it, and the sky looked the same, but nothing else could get through. That's why the boat got smashed."

"So, what? You think they got dragged to the world's border or something?" Amaya asked, now admittedly intrigued.

"That's exactly what I think it is," Riku affirmed. "I guess there's some secret research being done on it right now, but we need to go check it out for ourselves."

"Shouldn't we just leave it to the people who know what they're doing?"

"How do we know that they know what they're doing?" Riku retorted. "Besides, seeing the outside world has always been one of our dreams. I've just been thinking…What opportunity better than this?"

"I'm in!" Sora said excitedly, jumping off the tree to join Riku on the ground.

"I can't say I am," Amaya sighed, though not surprised by her brother's enthusiasm. If Riku had a cool-sounding idea, Sora would always be sure to follow.

"What?! Why not, Sis?"

"Scared the Kraken is gonna come out to drag us into the ocean's depths?" Riku teased. Amaya shot him a glare.

It was a fear she was  _mostly_  over, anyway.

"There's just way too many unknowns," she explained. "How will we get there? And what would we actually do when if we somehow did find a way? Sure, we can find this 'border', but that doesn't guarantee we'll find a way past it. I mean, that weird door in the Secret Place has been there for forever, and no one's ever figured out how to open it! And besides all that, what would all of our parents think if we all suddenly disappeared?"

"It's called 'taking a chance,' Amaya!" Sora argued.

"A 'chance' that doesn't look like it's likely going to pan out in our favor, as I've already presented."

"Well, good thing juries decide by majority rule," Riku responded, rolling his eyes at her. "Kairi, what do you think?"

"Hm…" Kairi's gaze was fixated on her shoes, her eyes squinted as she seemed to be pondering what her answer would be.

"Hey, what do we do if it's a tie?" Sora asked.

"The oldest one makes the final call," Amaya rapidly decided, crossing her arms. It would be the fastest, easiest way to overcome the inevitable outcome of this vote, after all.

"Just because your mom happened to push you out a couple of hours before – " Riku began to grumble, before Kairi cut him off.

"You guys don't need to fight over it," she giggled. "I'm in, too."

"See – wait, what?" Amaya found herself caught off-guard once more.

"Yes!" Sora pumped his fist eagerly.

"Majority rule," Riku repeated with a triumphant smirk. Amaya opened her mouth to argue, before deciding against it.

"Fine," she groaned in defeat. Kairi's 'yes' made sense, after all…

"Maybe we'll find Kairi's home world out there!" Sora mused.

"Maybe!" Kairi agreed jovially.

"Just don't get your hopes up too high yet," Amaya warned, sliding herself off the tree. "Don't want to be disappointed if it doesn't work out."

"It'll work," Riku said confidently.

"Welp, I'll be the one saying 'I told you so' if it doesn't," she scoffed. "Anyway, we should get going. It's getting late."

"What? But we've got so much more to talk about!" Sora exclaimed.

"Start brainstorming tonight," Riku interjected. "Get creative and come up with ideas. We can spend all day tomorrow planning."

"Sounds good to me!" Kairi agreed, finally leaping off to join the other three. The four began to make their way back over towards the beach. Sand and broken seashells crunched beneath their shoes, and the daylight was wearing thin as the sky began to give rise to the moon. Amaya couldn't help but hope they'd make it back to the Main Island sooner rather than later.

"Race you back!" Riku shouted once they'd made it to the rowing boats.

"You're on!" Sora challenged, eagerly hopping into his. The two hastily untied the ropes that tethered their boats to the dock before speedily propelling them into the ocean with their oars.

"Oh, come on, Sora!" Amaya yelled after him, watching him take  _their_  means of transportation away.

"Go with Kairi!" Sora called back. The two were neck-and-neck, salty water splashing wildly as the two hastily struck their oars against it. Amaya couldn't help but pinch her nose in frustration.

"Come on in," Kairi said good-naturedly, already seated in her own boat.

"Sorry about them." Amaya climbed in.

"I know how they are," Kairi chuckled, undoing the knots of her own rope.

"Do they really have to turn everything into a competition?"

"It's what keeps them motivated to be their best."

"I guess that's one way to look at it," Amaya sighed. The two girls each grabbed an oar and worked together to navigate through the ocean. Only a sliver of sunlight remained at the horizon, the waters beneath them practically black. Amaya gulped at the realization, though knowing she was with Kairi gave her some comfort.

"So, excited about our planning session tomorrow?" Kairi prodded.

"Oh, so excited," Amaya responded cynically. The other girl laughed. "Actually, I was pretty surprised you agreed to this. You really think this'll work?"

"Who knows? It does sound more promising than any other idea we ever came up with, though."

"That's true, but chances still sound pretty slim to me. I don't want to have to do all this planning and hunt for tons of provisions for this trip, only to come up empty-handed."

"It can still be an adventure! Maybe we'll find some new uncharted islet, or a new species of fish, or something!"

"I wish I had your enthusiasm," Amaya lamented. She thought back to the whole conversation – Riku's rather strange suggestion, Sora's predictable keenness to go along with it, Kairi's contemplation before giving her decision… "So, are you hoping that we might be able to find the world you originated from?"

"Hm, I wouldn't say 'hope', per se," Kairi mused aloud. "But, if I got the chance, it would be really neat to see it."

"I'll admit, I'm curious about it, too. What the weather's like, the architecture, the culture…" If Amaya was going to be roped into this, she figured she'd begin recounting the potential benefits of going through with the plan. "Hey, maybe we could even find your family!"

"Yeah, maybe…"

"Oh, sorry, did I say something to upset you?" Amaya asked nervously, noticing the troubled expression that had appeared on Kairi's face.

"Huh? O-oh, no, no, it's nothing!" Kairi replied, quickly perking herself back up.

"Sorry…" She felt she should have known better. Kairi'd said before that she couldn't remember anything about her family, or even whether or not she'd had one. The latter thought must have been painful to consider.

"I told you, it's fine," Kairi reassured. "I've just…been doing some thinking recently, that's all."

"Is it…okay if I ask what about?"

She hesitated for a moment before finally opening up. "Well, I've been having this weird dream recently…"

"'Weird dream'?"

"Yeah…actually, it's one that I've had a lot of times before, but recently, it's felt like I've had it almost every night. You know that frame that I have hanging above my bed?"

"The one with the colorful pressed dandelions?" The flowers were found with the girl when she mysteriously appeared on the island, that night of the meteor shower nearly ten years prior. Along with the clothes on her back, they were the only possession she had had – the sole souvenir of her original world.

"Yep." Kairi halted her paddling, drawing her oar back into the boat. Amaya mirrored these actions before letting her continue. "I have this weird dream, where I'm little again, and I'm standing in this really big garden that's full of them. Then, I bend down on my knees, and I always pick three of them out of the ground. The colors and sizes of the flowers are sometimes different, but it's always three. And then, once they're in my hand, a little person pops out of each one. One's an old lady, and the other two are boys…but by the time I wake up, I can never remember what they look like. I know it's the same people every time, though."

"That has to be frustrating," Amaya said in a sympathetic tone.

"A little bit," Kairi agreed. "The thing I do remember, though, is when the dream's about to end."

"Oh?"

"The younger of the two boys always says the same thing to me: 'Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you.' And then, I wake up…and I forget him. And the rest of them." Amaya reached out to give her friend a reassuring pat on the knee as disappointment marred her features once more.

"…Do you think they might be your family?"

"Maybe…Like I said, I've had this dream for a really long time. It's never really bugged me before, though that's probably because I always forgot about it. And, I'm happy here, with you guys, and with my parents, but…I can't deny that I feel little curious about it, especially with it happening so often now. It almost feels like…a sign, you know?"

"I get it," Amaya affirmed. "I'm sure it's hard not to feel guilty, but…don't. There's so many things that are and were out of your control and…no matter what you decide to do, know that you always have a home here, with us."

"Thank you, and thanks for hearing me out," Kairi said, her usual radiant smile now making a reappearance. The two once again grasped their paddles to guide their boat towards the shore. "If you don't mind…could you not tell Sora or Riku about this?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Thanks…It's not that I want to keep secrets from them or anything but, I feel like they might get worked up over it, you know?"

"Well, they both care a lot about you."

 _"More than you realize,"_  Amaya thought to herself, as she imagined the two of them trying to dissect every segment of the dream and attempt to learn of any possible deeper meanings – or, more inevitably and importantly, a competition for one of the two of them to use the information to somehow find a potential way to make Kairi happy.

"I'm grateful for them," Kairi grinned. "And you, too, of course!"

It wasn't long before the two of them finally made it to the dock of the Main Island, where Sora and Riku were present to greet them.

"Thought we were going to have to go out there and find the two of you," Riku chided them as they worked to tether the boat to the wooden post. "Don't tell me Amaya got scared a sea snake would pop into the boat again."

"I was eight, and you're the one who threw a fake one onto my lap!" she huffed, very tempted to hit him over the head with her oar. The snide smirk on his face made it all the harder to resist.

"I'm starving," Sora complained. "Hurry it up, dinner's probably ready." Amaya and Kairi hustled out of the boat, and the four made their way onto the mainland.

"Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow, then!" said Kairi, separating herself from the rest of the group to go on her way home.

"Sure you don't want me to walk you?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, we can all walk you together!" Sora added quickly, apparently forgetting about the hunger he had been grumbling over mere moments prior. Amaya couldn't help but shake her head at the two of them.

"I'll be fine, you guys," she reassured them.

"See you tomorrow, Kairi," Amaya waved.

"Night," Riku bade.

"See you, Kairi!" Sora called after her. The now-trio headed off together towards their neighborhood. It was undoubtedly nighttime; the light of the moon and the stars now guided them home.

"We might be up there soon, huh?" Sora contemplated aloud, his gaze focused on the sky above.

"There's a small possibility," Amaya cautiously agreed.

"No, we'll find a way," Riku interjected, his eyes now locked on the view above them as well. "I'm sure of it."

"Whatever you say."

All Amaya was sure of was that this summer vacation would be certainly be an interesting one.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Woo-hoo, chapter 1 is here! Hope you guys are at least somewhat intrigued so far.
> 
> There are a couple of points I wanted to bring up. Firstly, I know there's quite a few mysterious characters in this fic so far: the old lady in Kairi's dream is probably self-explanatory, but there's the two boys, as well as the mysterious lady on the tree in the prologue...start yer theorizin' ;)
> 
> The other point I wanted to bring up was where this story will be going. I know there's tons of canon rewrites with OC inserts on this site, and if you're into that, that's awesome! Welcome aboard! However, I do want this story to feel different; while major events of canon KH will still happen, Amaya may not be there to witness or take part in many of them because of what and where her future role will be. I want to use her to explore other characters and some untouched upon lore, and give you guys my headcanon based on that. I know it sounds a little vague right now, but ofc, I don't want to spoil anything for you guys so...yeah.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed! Drop me a comment if you're intrigued~ This fic is as of today up until Chapter 5 on FF.net. I'll be posting some chapters here every couple of days to get caught up, but if you can't wait, you can always check it out under the same username over there!
> 
> Thank you :)


	3. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amaya voices her reluctance to partake in the raft once more, and strange nightmares seem to haunt her.

It was a slow night at Seventh Heaven. The ruby-eyed bartender stood behind the counter, drumming her fingers along its edges as she anticipated the arrival of at least  _one_  customer. Beyond the tinted windows, there wasn't a soul in sight.

Several moments passed, and the bell finally chimed. Sunlight seeped through the doorway as a tall man with a mane of long, spiky black hair stepped inside. A sheathed sword hung loosely at his belt.

"Oh, it's only you," the bartender sighed, pushing a strand of long, ebony hair out of her face.

"Good to see you, too, Tifa," the man chuckled, seating himself at a barstool. "Still dead in here, huh?" He took a gander at his dimly lit surroundings – the polished black tables, the spotless mahogany floors, the undisturbed photos that lined the maroon walls; the place was eerily impeccable for one of the previously most popular nighttime establishments in town.

"Not a single customer all night, and it's almost closing time."

"All 'night,' huh? Well, most people's circadian rhythms would disagree with that, wouldn't ya say?"

"We've been here for years, most residents of this place are used to it by now! No, it's not related to that…"

"The Heartless," the man sharply exhaled, absentmindedly touching the X-shaped scar that marred his cheek. "Can't blame people for wanting to stay cooped up as much as possible these days. It just keeps getting worse out there."

"But not so bad that Captain Zack Fair's able to blow off a little steam in here, huh?" Tifa teased in an attempt to lighten the suddenly heavy mood.

"Give me a break, Tifa!" Zack exclaimed, exasperated. "Just wanted to grab something to drink! Even Keepers have to take a little recess here and there."

"No alcohol while you're on duty," she chided.

"Fiiiine. Your finest soda, then."

"So, who's picking up your slack while you're here, huh?" Tifa asked while reaching under the counter for a glass. She used one of the hoses at her disposal to fill it with a cola before sliding it over to him.

"Cecil's out there in the main square," Zack responded before taking a sip of his soda. "Noct and Gladio are out around the perimeter." Tifa's face contorted with incredulity.

"Noct…as in Noctis?!"

"…Yes?" The glass clinked against the counter as he set it back down.

"Don't you think he's a little too young to be out there on his own? He's only – "

"The same age I was when I had to take over things around here, ten years ago," Zack concluded solemnly. "And older than you were back then, might I remind you? You know as well as I do: in this kind of environment, you gotta grow up fast." Though her expression was more relaxed, the frown was still present on her face.

"You're right, I just…I wish he didn't have to go through what we did," Tifa lamented. "If anything, he's had it even worse, being so young when it all went down…"

"He's grown into it pretty admirably if you ask me," he shrugged, taking another sip. "And I wouldn't let him out there on his own if I didn't think he was ready."

"I just hope there's not too many more kids who have to go through the same ordeal."

"Well, our population growth seems to have slowed down these past couple of weeks. Not to say it can't pick itself up again, but it's been a few days since our last arrival."

Tifa couldn't help but feel conflicted. On the one hand, this news was a bit of a welcome relief to hear, but on the other… "So I'm assuming no sign of that 'Key' that King instructed us to look out for, either, huh?"

"Nope," Zack affirmed. "We'll continue to keep an eye out, though, of course."

"I wonder if that person really will be able to solve all of this," she mused.

"We can only really hope at this point, huh?" The two continued to converse until Zack finally finished his drink. He pushed the glass back towards her. "Anyway, I should probably head back out there. It's about closing time here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, in a little bit," Tifa responded, setting it aside to wash out later. "And I've gotta be up in a few hours and get out there myself."

"Well, be sure to get some rest. You'll need it." The stool squeaked against the floorboards as Zack got up to briefly stretch.

"And you be careful out there."

"You don't have to tell me," Zack insisted, waving her off. "See ya in a bit."

"Yeah, see you." Tifa looked on as he turned to exit the establishment. The bell above the door rung once more as he shut the door behind him, the glow of the sun's rays disappearing once more.

* * *

"You're not serious, are you?"

"What, you've got a better idea, Amaya?" Riku crossly asked, running a hand through the front of his silver hair.

"I can't believe you think taking a  _raft_  of all things is a good plan!" Amaya rebutted. "Where exactly are we going to get the materials to build one that's big enough for the four of us? Not to mention the safety hazards! I'm not even talking about tropical storms or hurricanes here. If we run into even a gust of wind that's too strong, we'll all be collateral damage! And supplies – we'll need, at the very,  _very_  least, a week's worth! That includes food, fresh water, extra clothes, blankets, a first-aid kit –"

"What, you want us to take a cruise down there instead?" he repeated through gritted teeth. "Or maybe build an ark?"

"If that's what it takes to do this safely," she huffed, squinting her emerald eyes at him. Leaning back against the wall of the treehouse, her fingers tapped against its wooden floor as she began to attempt to come up with some sort of practical compromise.

"Well, realistically speaking, we all know that those are out of the question. Anyway, if you're finally done rambling, how about listening to the rest of what I have to say?"

"Which is…?"

"We can hunt around the islands for the materials we need to build," Riku began to explain. "The place is littered with logs and rope, which is basically all we need. Same goes for food and water. We've all got pockets and bags that we can keep on ourselves to store those things. As for extra clothes, we can wear extra layers and change as needed."

"It sounds  _better_ ," she begrudgingly conceded. She had to admit, it did seem that he'd done his fair-share of planning behind this. "But I'm still not comfortable with it."

"There are going to be some unavoidable risks involved, for sure," Riku nodded. He reached into his pocket to pull out a rolled-up sheet of paper.

"What's that?" Sora asked, finally getting a word into the conversation. He and Kairi had been sitting quietly together, awkwardly watching as the older two argued before them.

"A map," Riku replied, unfurling the roll and placing it flat against the ground for the four of them to see. "It lays out all of the known islets, and this," he paused to drag his finger along the page in the northwest direction of the compass, "is the direction that that fishing boat was headed in, which is the path that we'll take. Along the way, you can see that there's tons of little islands where we can make pit stops at. We can restock on materials, rest for the night, and even seek shelter from storms if we have to."

"Whoa, so that takes care of all our problems then, doesn't it?" Sora shot his older sister a triumphant look.

"Sure, it offers some solutions," Amaya agreed. "But it's still not totally foolproof, and no guarantee that we'll have those resources right when we need them. And there's still other concerns. Like, what about sharks?"

"Okay, now you're just reaching," Riku quickly shot back. "You do realize how rare it is to get attacked by one, right?"

"It's still possible! Not to mention a million other things that could go wrong! And we'd be nowhere near a hospital if something like that were to happen!"

"' _If.'_ "

"And besides, what happens when we run out of islets to rest on? Do we just stay on the raft overnight?"

"Sis…Is that what you're scared of?" Sora asked. Amaya could tell that the question wasn't in jest, but it didn't stop the heat from rising to her face. Suddenly feeling three pairs of eyes on her, she averted her gaze, sheepishly twirling a loose strand of her black hair around her finger.

"Look," Riku started with a sigh, "your issues aside, I'm perfectly aware that there are some dangers involved with this plan. As far as I'm concerned, I'm willing to take the risks."

"Again, you're acting like this is definitely going to work," Amaya muttered under her breath, though Riku did not seem to hear her.

"I'm not forcing you guys to commit to this – it's up to each of you to decide whether or not you're going to come along."

"Well, you can count me in!" Sora hastily said.

"I'm in, too," Kairi agreed, a sense of determination present in her tone.

It was three to one.

"Sis?" Sora asked. All three stares were once again upon her.

"I…I'm honestly not so sure yet," she said slowly, eyes still locked on the ground. "I still can't rationalize all this danger for the sake of something that's nowhere near guaranteed to work."

"Well, it's not like you have to make a decision right now," Riku responded rather pragmatically, though Amaya could sense the underlying irritation. "It's going to take us at least a few days for us to get all of this together."

"And I'm sure that's only if we all pull our weight," Kairi quipped, playfully poking at Sora's shoulder.

"Heeey," Sora whined, his complexion suddenly slightly flushed.

"That goes for  _both_  of you," Riku teased. Kairi giggled mischievously in response, while Sora just pouted.

"So, when are you guys going to officially start?" Amaya asked.

"Well, I figure it's probably best if we begin by making some sort of list to figure out exactly what and how much we're gonna need."

"That's probably one of your better ideas today." She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small notepad and pen. "Well, let's get started."

"So…you're coming?" Sora inquired.

"Still can't say," she responded, pages flapping as she flipped to a blank sheet. "But if you guys are really gonna go through with this, the least I can do is make sure that you're as well-prepared as possible."

The four spent the better part of the early afternoon coming up with strategies to gather the necessary procurements for the journey ahead while munching away on the lunches they'd brought with them. Amaya's pen fervently scratched the pages of her notepad as she painstakingly jotted down every single detail. By the time they'd finished, she'd filled several pages' worth.

"Well, for a giant chicken, at least you're useful to have around for these kinds of things," Riku jibed, eyebrows raised as he thumbed through her writing.

"It's called 'being responsible,' something you guys could learn a lesson or two about," she retorted, raising her pen at him. He rolled his eyes.

"So…tomorrow then?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah," Riku affirmed. "I can grab some tools from my dad's shed so we can start building as soon as possible. We can start looking around for the logs and rope we'll need then, too."

"Sweet!" Sora exclaimed, pumping his fists. His perky grin suddenly faded as he turned to his best friend. "Now, if we're done here, you and I have a score to settle."

"Hmph, you're on," Riku smirked. Sparks seemed to fly between the two before Sora practically leapt out of the treehouse and slid down the ladder to return to the Play Island. Riku was slower to get up, reaching into his pocket as he did so.

"Oh, by the way," he started, "catch." Amaya had barely extended her arms to receive the object before it skimmed her fingertips and fell with a thud onto the stilted floor. It was difficult to mask her annoyance as she crouched over to retrieve it, though the feeling dissipated when she recognized what it was the moment she laid her eyes upon it.

"Ah, thank you!" she said appreciatively, collecting the assigned summer reading novella.

"Yep," he responded before hastily hopping out to begin his own descent down onto the beach.

"You feeling okay, Amaya?" Kairi inquired, observing that they were the only two left. "You just looked really nervous throughout that conversation, is all."

"Well, you guys do like to keep me on my toes," she answered apathetically.

Kairi couldn't help but laugh in response. "Thanks for being a good sport about it all and helping us out with everything, at the very least."

Amaya chose her words carefully when formulating her response. "…I just wouldn't want to get in the way of you getting the answers that you want."

"Well, we'll just have to see what happens, won't we?" Kairi said coyly. "And that includes whether or not you'll be joining us."

"We'll just have to see," Amaya agreed with a small smile.

"Anyway, I'm guessing you're going to be cooped up here the rest of the day with that, huh?" Kairi gestured to the book in Amaya's lap, amused.

"It shouldn't take me that long," Amaya claimed rather defensively. "I finished about half of it yesterday."

"Alright, then. I'm gonna go join the others.  _Maybe_  catch you in a bit!"

"Yeah, see you," Amaya waved, watching after Kairi as she began to make her way down to catch up with the other two. She leafed through to the middle of the book to find the spot she'd left off on before the previous day's unfortunate interruption. Her eyes began to fervently skim through the words before her.

She'd gotten through several pages before realizing she hadn't absorbed a single letter she'd read. Suddenly, it began to feel as if her head was spinning at light speed. Her thoughts swirled, not a single one seemingly coherent. Reflexively, she shut the book before hugging her knees into her chest to lean her forehead against them.

"It'll all work out," she reassured herself, rubbing her temples. "It'll be ok…"

* * *

"Sora, you'll choke if you keep doing that!"

"I'll be fine," he waved his older sister off before stuffing another chicken leg into his mouth, bone still intact. Amaya cringed as she watched him suck the bulbous end like a lollipop, gnashing at it with his teeth to separate the meat. She heard some tittering from the chair across from her.

"It's not funny, Haru," Amaya warily warned the five-year-old girl.

"Yes, it is!" their little sister proclaimed, now laughing even harder. Amaya couldn't help but sigh; her two younger siblings were cut from the same cloth. The two were practically identical, too – one look at the framed childhood images of the three hanging on the salmon-colored dining room wall, and one wouldn't be able to tell Haru's apart from Sora's if it weren't for her longer, wavier hair.

"Well, you better not copy him, or –" Amaya's warning was cut off by a sudden coughing sound. She looked back over to see Sora gagging over his plate, fervently pounding at the top of his chest as he struggled to dislodge the chicken bone from his mouth. "What did I tell you?!" she exclaimed exasperatedly, vigorously rubbing his back to aid him.

Another set of hands, large and burly, suddenly wrapped around Sora's chest, locked together as they pushed against his ribcage. Several agonizing moments later, and the bolus finally reappeared on the platter.

"Gross," Amaya cringed at the unpleasant lump of chewed meat and bone that now tarnished his white porcelain platter.

"Is he okay?" asked a concerned voice. A petite woman with long, chestnut brown hair stood in the dining room doorway, green eyes brimming with worry.

"Did he die?" inquired Haru, sapphire eyes wide.

"He could have," Amaya responded indifferently as she grabbed a napkin to mop up the unsightly mess.

"Everything's fine now, honey," Sora's savior assured, patting him on the shoulder before taking a seat at the head of the table. "You gotta eat a little slower, there, bud."

"Sorry, Dad," Sora croaked, massaging his throat as he reached for the pitcher to fill his glass with water. "Just really hungry!"

"Did you pack snacks with you to take to the Play Island today?" the woman asked, plopping a bowl of fried rice in the center of the pinewood table before seating herself next to the children's father.

"I told him to this morning, Mom," Amaya reported, narrowing her eyes at him. The only thing she'd seen in his lunchbox in the afternoon was the small bento box their mother had prepared for him.

"No wonder why you're so ravenous at dinnertime," Mom concluded, shaking her head. "You kids are there all day and don't have the mind to pack what you need to keep yourselves fueled!"

"Please don't lump me with him.  _I_  brought extra pineapple and shrimp chips for myself."

"We were running late!" Sora explained, reaching over to help himself to the fried rice. Utensils clinked as their parents began to also serve themselves from the wide array of dishes in the spread. "Riku wanted us to be there early today!"

"Riku's annoying," Amaya scoffed, filling her plate with salad. "Normal people sleep in during summer vacation. He could've waited an extra five minutes for us if you needed to grab some things."

"He was super serious about it today because of the meeting!" He handed the spatula over to her, which she used to scoop some rice for Haru before piling some onto her own plate.

"A meeting, huh?" their mother asked curiously as the pair simultaneously lifted their chopsticks to their mouths. "What for?" The two halted themselves, utensils mid-air as they exchanged an uneasy glance.

"Uh…"

"Aren't you kids planning something for the Summer Festival?" Dad interjected, wiping some sauce out of his thick, black curly beard with a tissue. "The mayor stopped by at the market today. Bought the biggest tuna I had in stock! She was a beauty, she was." His barrel chest swelled with pride. "Anyway, I'm getting off-topic. While he was in, he said Kairi and her friends were whippin' something up for it. I assume that includes you kids."

"Yes, that's exactly it!" Amaya answered quickly. Kairi had brought up the proposal to the group earlier that day, though for obvious reasons, the commitment was one that was unlikely to be honored. Of course, they would have to play along with it for now.

"The Summer Festival?" Mom questioned. "That's certainly exciting!" The stiffness dissipated from Sora and Amaya's shoulders. "So, what exactly are you all planning on doing?"

"Are guys making a game?!" Haru asked, bouncing in her chair excitedly. "Or running a booth?! Or doing a dance?!"

"It's a secret!" Sora winked.

"But you can tell me!" she whined. "I'm like the best secret keeper in the world!"

Amaya couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Sorry, that title already belongs to me," Sora replied haughtily, stuffing his face with more chicken and rice. Haru's face fell as she slumped into her chair.

"Now, now, little one," Mom said soothingly, ruffling her hair. "It'll be a fun surprise when we finally get to see it, I'm sure!"

"Definitely!" Amaya nodded, though it was hard to dam up the waves of guilt she began to feel swirling inside her.

"So, you kids have any other fun things planned for your break?" Dad inquired, snapping apart the bones of a chicken wing. "Any summer programs?"

"Why don't you tell Daddy what you're doing, Haru?" Mom requested encouragingly.

"I'm in summer camp!" she announced, excitedly flailing her arms.

"Just like your big brother and sister used to do, huh?" Dad bellowed heartily. "Remember it was just like it was yesterday. You kids would do your thing for the whole entire day, come home, and still beg me to take you to that Play Island. Don't know what kind of fuel you were runnin' on back then!"

"Thanks for being a good sport about it, Dad," Amaya giggled, reminiscing back to those simpler times.

"Well, it was either that or hearing you two screamin' like banshees while your poor Mom was trying to fix us up some nice dinner. In a way, it was like getting myself some quiet time, too!"

"Made it easier to put you both down to bed at night, too, since you were so exhausted by the time you got home," Mom chimed in. "Hmm…" Haru was oblivious to her mother's pointed gaze, preoccupied by fiddling with her chocobo-embellished training chopsticks.

Dinner continued uneventfully thereafter. Sora and Amaya assisted their mother in clearing the table once everyone was finished eating. The two worked together to wash and dry the dishes before joining their parents and younger sister for evening family time. It wasn't long before it was finally time for the bedtime routine.

"I'm heading into the bath first!" Amaya announced, darting up the stairs before Sora had the chance to get up from the living room couch.

"No, you take forever!" he called after her. Amaya swung open her bedroom door, hastily undressing and grabbing her things before Sora could catch up. She'd barely gotten her bathrobe on and made it into the bathroom before he came in hobbling through from his own room.

"I'll be up all night if I let you in first!" he yelled, towel draped around his waist as he skated over to the opaque sliding doors to their shared shower and  _ofuro_  tub.

"I can never feel clean if I shower in the giant mess you always make!" Amaya shot back, rushing over to swat his hand away from the door handle. The two began to grapple at one another, desperately trying to shove one another out of the way. It soon became clear which one would come out victorious.

Amaya knew her odds of beating her brother at any physical activity were sorely not in her favor, but there was still away to emerge the champion of this battle. Sure, it was an underhanded tactic, but…

"Sis, what the hell?!" Sora shouted, diving to the ground immediately to recover his fallen towel and regain some semblance of modesty. "That was low!"

"All's fair in love and war," she smirked the moment she triumphantly locked the sliding door. Sora continued to grumble on the other side of the partition as she took full advantage of the spoils she'd claimed.

Standing under the warm stream after a long day out was certainly relaxing. She unraveled the red ribbon that held a loose braid at the end of her waist-length, thick, wavy hair before beginning to lather it with shampoo. It certainly took quite the effort to be thorough with it, but it was a soothing process for her nonetheless. She kept her eyes closed once she was ready to rinse her tresses, taking care not to blink in any suds.

She shrieked the moment she opened them.

"I can't see!" she cried, desperately reaching her hands out to grasp at the ceramic wall. "Why's the light out?!"

" _All's fair in love and war_ ," Sora's voice echoed in jest.

"Please, Sora!" she begged, shivering under the once peaceful cascade of water. "Turn them back on! Please!"

There was no response.

"Sora!" she yelped once more. The walls were beginning to close in on her, the hum of the shower and the whir of the overhead exhaust only worked to dull her hearing. Touch was the final valuable sense that remained; she kept her arms tactfully in front of her, her breathing labored as she stood awaiting the inevitable blindsided ambush of whatever being or creature that was looming around her.

An eternity passed before the light finally returned.

"You're the absolute worst!" she called over the sounds of Sora's howling laughter. The jeering was muffled following the sound of the bathroom door clicking shut.

Her hands continued to quake for the duration of her shower, and finishing it felt like a miracle. She continued to tremble as she finally made her way over to the  _ofuro_. Though the tension in her bones finally dissipated the moment she lowered herself into the hot water, her mind still raced as she finally took the time to contemplate the events that had transpired earlier in the day.

Would she really be able to go through with it…?

She could have sat in the bath all night to scrutinize her options, but eventually decided she'd return to the introspection at a later time; the present would be better spent getting on with the rest of her bedtime routine. Her wet feet squelched against the tiles as she exited the tub and retrieved her bathrobe. She slid the door open and made her way over to the double sink to begin roughly drying her hair with the towel. The blow-dryer was tucked in the top drawer; she plugged it into the wall and initiated the arduous task of exsiccating her dense ebony mane.

Moments after the blow-dryer's buzzing commenced, the door to her left swung open once more.

"Geez, took you long enough," Sora muttered as he finally dragged himself inside from his bedroom, pajama pants scrunched up in his arms. She rolled her eyes once he disappeared behind the shower doors.

She'd be lying if she said she was completely over the stunt he'd pulled on her earlier.

By the time she'd finished with her hair, Sora reappeared. He was visible in the corner of her vision through the mirror, raking a towel briskly through his gravity-defying spiky hair. She'd begun squeezing out toothpaste onto her toothbrush by the time he came over to the other sink.

"You done with that?" he inquired, his own toothbrush ready in his hands. She slid the tube over to him across the vanity counter. The two vigorously scrubbed their teeth, spitting out into the sink in unison before turning on the water to thoroughly rinse out their mouths and brushes.

"So," Sora began, using a small towel to wipe his wet chin, "what are you gonna do, Sis?"

"About what?" she inquired, swiping toner across her face with a cotton pad.

"I mean…you're not actually going to  _not_  come, are you?"

"I told you, I don't know yet." She pumped out some moisturizer into her hands, which she gently slapped onto her cheeks.

"I know you're worried and all, but it'll be fine! Kairi'll be with us, and me and Riku will definitely keep you guys safe while we're on the raft!"

"Riku would be the first person to push me off of it," Amaya scoffed, lips parted as she brought her face close to the mirror to brush a serum onto her eyelashes.

"Well, it's not like you don't know how to swim! And, besides, we've been talking about going to other worlds for like, forever. You can't miss out on this!"

" _If_  there's even anything to miss out on."

"There's always an 'if' with you," Sora sighed, leaning his hip against the counter. "Don't you ever just want to take a break from all the worrying you do and follow your dreams for once?"

"I guess that's just the difference between you and me," she shrugged, continuing to examine her reflection. "You're a go-getter when it comes to things that sound cool to you. I need time to think things over before I take the plunge."

"…So what would you do if you decided not to come?" She turned to face him, noting his resolved expression. "You'd be left all alone here. And wouldn't you just be worried about us?"

She had to admit, he had a point.

"…Just give me some time, okay?" she requested sincerely. "I really need to think about it."

"Whatever you say," he yawned. "Anyway, I'm beat. 'Night." He scratched his belly as he turned to head out.

"Woah, hold on a sec." Amaya halted him.

"What?" he groaned, watching her rummage through the medicine cabinet.

"You've got a zit!"

"Are you serious?" he deadpanned. She retrieved a small jar filled with some sort of cream and beckoned him to let her apply it to the affected area. "Why do you care so much about this stuff?" He begrudgingly tilted his jaw to allow her access.

"It's better to treat these things early," she explained. "You don't want it to scar. Besides, what'll Kairi think?"

"Wh-why does that matter?" His face flushed at the implication.

"No reason in particular," Amaya responded, feigning indifference as she inspected her work. "Try not to let it rub off while you're sleeping."

"No guarantees." He studied his reflection in the mirror, poking himself near the white dots of ointment she'd applied.

Amaya couldn't help but compare their features as they stood side by side. Their appearances were about as different as their personalities were at first glance. Most people were initially unable to guess that the two were siblings, having inherited almost opposite characteristics from their parents. Sora's face was rounder, his cheeks slightly pudgy; Amaya's shape was more defined with her high cheekbones and pointed chin. He'd gotten their father's sky blue eyes, while her irises were their mother's shade of deep green.

The one feature Amaya couldn't help but envy was Sora's nose, so straight, small, and perfect. She'd give anything to swap it with hers, as she resented her lack of a nose bridge along with its bulbous tip and strange upturned nostrils that she swore resembled a dragon's snout.

Despite their dissimilarities, upon closer inspection, one could also make out the subtle similarities between the two of them beyond their matching sun-kissed skin tone. Though her lips were plumper than his, the two shared a dimple on their right cheeks which made an appearance whenever they smiled. The round almond shape of their eyes and the slight arch of their eyebrows were identical.

"Hrm…" Sora brought her out of her analysis. She suddenly felt the side of his palm graze the top of her forehead.

"What are you doing…?"

"I'm gonna be taller than you by the end of this summer," he announced. It certainly was within the realm of possibilities; she'd always been an inch or two above him as they'd grown up, and it was only recently that he had finally caught up to her exact height.

"Eat your veggies and get your sleep," she responded, mussing his still-damp hair.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He stretched his arms over his head. "Anyway, see ya in the mornin'."

"Yeah. Good night." The pair headed off in opposite directions, each approaching the exits to their respective rooms to officially retire for the evening.

* * *

She found herself standing outside of the upper entrance to the seaside shack. She was greeted by the familiar surroundings; the calm ocean water, the distant call of seagulls, and the gentle breeze. Her twin ponytails bounced, and her shark tooth necklace slapped back and forth against her chest as she found her tiny legs carrying her across the bridge towards the paopu tree.

But…why was she running? How had she gotten here? Where were Sora and Riku? Where was her father? He wasn't waiting by the docks like he said he would be. In fact, the dock wasn't there at all.

She'd finally reached the tree, now confronted by a floating, squinted pair of brown eyes, seeming to size up her small form.

…Why did they seem so familiar?

"That 'power?' For a pipsqueak like you?!" a young woman's voice cackled, causing her to shudder. Before she could even react, the sky suddenly began to darken, the clouds in a rush to assault the sun. Angry waves crashed against the shore, their roars more ear-piercing with every push and pull of the tide.

"Wh-what's happening?" she whimpered. The palm trees began to sway violently, and wild clouds of dust and sand began to whirl around her, forcing her to keep her eyes shut to keep it out of them.

"Listen here, little girl," the mysterious voice playfully sounded once more. "If you manage to find a way to find me again, then  _maybe_  I'll consider you worthy of it."

"Wh-what are you –" The howls of the wind and shrieks of the waves were deafening. Instinctively, she covered her ears and squeezed her eyelids tighter as she crouched onto the ground and rocked herself back and forth on her feet.

"Like that'll ever happen!" said the voice, guffawing once more. The laugh reverberated and echoed for what seemed like forever and a day before it finally faded away, the chaotic atmosphere seeming to have calmed down with it. Her body suddenly felt weightless; she gingerly peeked up to see that the pair of eyes were gone. As were the ocean, the sand, the paopu tree – the entire island had disappeared.

"Why is this happening?!" she cried, hot tears spilling down her tender cheeks. "Daddy! Sora! Riku!"

But it was useless.

There was no response.

No one could hear her.

No one was there.

She was surrounded by nothing but the black, hazy void that swallowed her home.

A portal suddenly appeared in front of her, and out of it materialized a being of the likes she had never seen. She was barely able to make out its features in the darkness. Taller than her house, its yellow eyes glowered down upon her through the tentacle-like projections that jutted off its face. A hollowed out silhouette of a heart was embedded in its chest. All she could do was snivel and tremble helplessly when it wrapped one of its claws around her, dragging her with itself down into the abyss.

Amaya jolted awake, eyes wide open in the darkness. Her heart and mind were racing, breathing heavy as she confirmed her bed was still beneath her, and the weight on her chest simply belonging to her sheets.

"Calm down," she whispered to herself, wiping beads of sweat from her brow. "Just a dream. Just a dream."

But was it? What was this eerie feeling?

That monster…those claws…

She rolled over, warily extracting one of her hands from the security beneath her blanket as she desperately groped around the wall. Her heart beat more violently the longer she fumbled around.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips the moment she flipped the switch. Her room was as it was. Everything was fine. She retreated once more beneath her covers, taking another gander at her surroundings before determining it was absolutely safe for her to close her eyes once more.

Yes, she could rest easy like this.

Her reprieve was temporary, however, as the inescapable feelings of shame began to creep up on her.

What kind of fifteen-year-old still slept with a nightlight on?

"… _follow your dreams for once…_ " she recalled Sora's words to her from earlier.

But how could she, when her nightmares still held her captive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah! Tifa and Zack are here? What's up with that lol?
> 
> I apologize for the lack of Kairi in this chapter, btw. Originally, I was planning on having an extra scene involving her, but it felt very out of place in this chapter, so I cut that scene in favor of focusing on the dinner and bedtime scenes. She will have more screentime to come in the next couple of chapters, though, I promise! Anyway, getting back to the aforementioned scene, I actually had a lot of fun writing it. Like I said before, family dynamics are not really explored in KH, which I always felt was such a shame, since I always was curious as to how these characters' home lives were. I also haven't explored Sora and Amaya's relationship very deeply in previous works that I've done, so it was really nice to be able to finally do that here, and in a "canon" setting no less! I debated including Haru, another OC of mine, and ultimately went with it just because it felt wrong leaving her out of this fic, though her role will be a very small one in the scheme of this story.
> 
> So, yeah, let me know what you think! How are you feeling about Amaya's character? What do you think was going on in that dream? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!~


	4. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The squad work together to gather materials and complete the raft. Somewhere a world away, two young women contemplate their duties and the fate of the worlds...

Kairi tapped the pencil against her chin, face scrunched as she wracked her brain for any other detail she could possibly recall. The same questions plagued her.

What were their names? How were they related to her? Where exactly was the setting?

She began to scratch away at the page in front of her once more.

_"While the rest of the details of the dream are still kind of hazy, and the same as always, there was this new bit at the end. Weirdly enough, it's the part I most vividly remember. Instead of waking up when I normally do (after the younger boy says he won't forget me), everything went black. It felt ominous, and I could feel heart start beating really fast. Within no time, though, it all dissipated into light, and a strange voice started talking._

" _It said (and I remember exactly): 'One day when you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another. Someone to keep you safe.'"_

But whose voice was it, and what was it supposed to mean?

"Miss Kairi?" A voice interrupted Kairi from her reprieve, accompanied by a knock at her door.

"Come in," she chimed. The door creaked open to reveal one of her maids, clad in an apron over her floral sundress.

"Looks like you're already awake," the maid observed, taking a gander at the state the room was in. As usual, the floors were clean, the desk spick and span. Sunlight crept through the semi-open blinds that guarded the windows. The only sore spot of note was the unmade bed, though that couldn't be helped; the auburn-haired girl sat upon it, sleeve of her lavender nightgown dangling off her shoulder, and legs still tucked under the sheets. "Breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes."

"Oh, thank you," Kairi replied politely. "I'll be down in a little bit. Need to brush my teeth still."

"Sudden spur of creativity?"

"Hmm?"

"Barely woken up, and you're working on a writing piece?" the maid chuckled good-naturedly, gesturing to the pink notebook resting in the younger girl's lap.

"Hmmm…Something like that, I guess."

"My boyfriend's a writer, too. He always tells me that once the inspiration hits, it hits. Sometimes I'll catch him up at 3 in the morning, hunched over his typewriter to punch out some new scene for whatever story he's working on at the time. Then, I end up yelling at him to find another place to do his work, because I cannot sleep with the racket he makes!"

"Sounds like that would be annoying," Kairi agreed with a laugh.

"So, what kinds of things do you like to write, Miss Kairi? Stories? Essays? Your father did mention that you're quite the poet."

"Dad loves to exaggerate," she explained. "As for what I like to write…well, I guess it's like your boyfriend says: 'once the inspiration hits, it hits.'"

"Well, I'd love to read some of your work one day. I'm sure it's fantastic."

"Maybe I'll show you some time."

"I would love that," the maid grinned. "Anyway, I should leave you to get ready. I'll be back later to fix up your bed, so don't you fret about that."

"Thank you," Kairi said appreciatively as she watched the older woman walk out, the door clicking shut behind her. She turned her attention back to the page she'd been scribbling on, her lips now forming a frown. Her fingers began to unconsciously twiddle with the pendant hanging around her neck. Leaning back against her headboard, her indigo eyes rolled up above to look at the only other possession she'd retained from her original "home" world: the framed rainbow dandelions that hung above her.

With a reluctant sigh, she finally hopped off the bed to begin getting ready for the day. Riku wanted them at the Play Island early again today, so she didn't have much more time to dawdle.

She could picture the scene already: Riku slaving away over every log, while Amaya hovered over his shoulder to monitor his every move. Sora would try to find a way to sneak off while the two of them argued, and he'd beckon her to try to escape with him. Of course, the attempt would fail, and Riku would give the two of them an earful about not pulling their weight.

A smile crept up on her lips, the hazy fog of her forgotten past no longer obscuring her view of what she had in front of her.

Home was with those three, after all.

* * *

It was yet another impeccable summer day. The sun, though not yet risen to its peak, beat down on the ripples of the sparkling ocean water. The ambience on the Play Island was rather calm compared to the clamorous foot traffic from the previous week. More children were staying back on the mainland these days, working on school assignments or participating in organized recreational activities their parents had signed them up for.

This made the raft building task a much easier one – according to Riku, anyway.

Amaya regretted not bringing some sort of headband to keep her bangs out of her eyes. She constantly found herself having to brush them out of the way as she hovered over the log she was working on, diligently coating it with varnish using her paintbrush.

"How's it going over there?" she heard Riku ask from behind her.

"About done with this next one," she responded, craning her neck to look over at him. His back was turned to hers, broad shoulders hunched as he worked on the log in front of him. One of his gloved hands firmly gripped at it while the other furiously pushed and pulled a saw through one of its ends.

"I'm just gonna check this one," he alerted her once he'd severed several inches of it off. Amaya scooted out of the way, allowing him to turn around with the wood cradled in his arms. He lay it next to the varnished piece to compare lengths.

"Looks pretty good to me," Amaya nodded with approval. "There's a couple of knots in the middle there that you might want to scrape off before I coat it, though."

"Mind handing me the knife?" The coarse, warm sand grated against her shins as she scooched over towards the toolbox on her knees. After a bit of rummaging, she was able to find the requested item strapped along one of its sides.

"Here." She was careful to grip the carving knife so its blade was down and facing away from him.

"Thanks." He deftly scraped off the mottled bark and smoothed out any lumps and bumps present on the wood's surface. Amaya helped him roll the log over gradually, double-checking his work as he progressed.

"This reminds me of that stupid history project we had to do," Riku grunted, struggling to wriggle the blade under a particularly entrenched branch off the side. "You know, that one where we had to make those mini-tikis?"

Amaya remembered the assignment quite well. Though the arts were neither of their stronger suits, the two worked together to research the craft and came up with a well-thought out piece.

"We did end up getting the highest grade in the end," she reminisced.

"Well, why else do you think I put up with you on group projects whenever we get to choose our partners?" Riku quipped, still hacking away at the bark.

"Gee, thanks."

"Hey, not like I don't pull my weight. I did most of the carving."

"'Cause you had the tools for it," she pointed out. "Speaking of, does your family realize you stole those?" She gestured back over to the giant toolbox and the can of varnish they'd been using for their construction project.

"Nah, these are really old," he explained. "Loz used to use these, but Dad just passed him his set since he got a new one for himself. They don't need these anymore."

"Oh, is Loz working for your Dad's business now or something?"

"Not like he'd be useful doing anything else," Riku shrugged. "You would have cried if you saw his entrance exam scores. No way he was getting into the University."

"Well, he does seem like he'd be good at physical labor," Amaya pondered. She didn't spend much time with Riku's older brothers, but she knew them well enough to know that they all had their strengths. As she recalled, Loz was the biggest and burliest of the four, though brains were not his strong suit.

"How about the other two?"

"Summer programs, I guess. They're spending the break at Mom's place."

"Because it's closer to the University?"

"Yep," Riku nodded.

"So…are you planning on seeing her at all over break?"

"If she's ever home," he responded indifferently. "Doesn't really make sense to move between my parents' houses if neither of them are actually there ninety-five percent of the time."

"I guess that makes sense," Amaya agreed, deciding not to push the subject any further. The topic wasn't necessarily a touchy one; Riku's parents had been separated since their childhood. Their fallout was far from dramatic – from what she understood, the two simply drifted apart, their careers taking precedence over their relationship. Riku never admitted to it bothering him; the only thing he ever complained about was having to constantly shift between their two homes, and even this came to an end when he was finally allowed to settle primarily at his father's since it was closer to the high school. If anything, he seemed more satisfied with the independence his situation allowed him.

After all, how else would he be able to get away with the stunt they were about to pull with this journey?

"I think this one's about done," Riku observed, wiping away the crumbled remnants from the final removed knot. "Shit!" he winced, suddenly pulling his hand away.

"Are you all right?" Amaya asked, concerned.

"Splinter, I think."

"Let me take a look," she demanded. He apathetically complied, allowing her to take his injured hand into hers. With the majority of his hand being covered by his leather half-glove, it didn't take much effort to scan for the miniscule piece of wood embedded in the fleshy exposed part of his palm.

"It's fine, I'll just pull it out."

"You'll contaminate it if you do it that way," she retorted, swatting his other hand away.

"It's really not that big of a deal," he exhaled, observing her as she let go of him to fiddle with the pouch at her waist. She dug around for a few moments before pulling out a small white box, which she clicked open to reveal a first aid kit. "You seriously carry that around with you?"

"I have to be prepared for anything and everything when I'm around you and Sora," she retorted, retrieving the pair of tweezers strapped to the inside of the lid. "How many times have you banged each other up with all the stupid sparring you guys do?" She took his hand back and brought it close to her face, prodding the foreign body with her tool before grabbing onto the end to finally remove it.

"Easy enough, I guess." He began to extract himself from her grasp before she once more tightened her fingers around his wrist, halting his escape.

"Hold on, I need to sterilize it." She used her free hand to rummage through the first aid kit once more, this time to pull out a tiny tinted spray bottle.

"Is that really necessary?"

"Do you want to get an infection before we're ready to set sail?" He rolled his eyes at her impatiently before letting out a caught-off-guard gasp, recoiling from the sting of the disinfectant on the broken skin.

"I'm almost done," she reassured, now holding a piece of gauze to the area.

"That's just overkill," he groaned, watching her wrap a long piece of medical tape around his palm. "It's barely a scratch!"

"Yeah, but a regular Band-Aid wouldn't stay in place." She patted the wrap down securely. "Next time, try wearing gloves that totally cover your hands."

"Well, if all goes well today, hopefully there won't be a next time." He turned his attention back to the pile of materials and logs they'd gathered over the past several days. "How many more of these do we need?"

"Sora's quota is three more," she responded, tucking the box back into her satchel. "We should be all set when he brings them back. After we shape them up and varnish the rest of them, we'll be ready to tie them all up together."

"Seriously, where is he?" Riku huffed.

"Kairi's still gone, too," Amaya mused. After Sora'd been missing for longer than expected, Riku tasked her with finding him.

"Slackers." Riku squatted up back onto his feet. "Come on, let's go find them."

"Is it okay if we leave everything here out in the open like this?"

"It's still pretty early. No one else is here yet." The two began to make their way over to the ledge that lead to the bridge. Amaya nervously grasped onto his arm as they crossed it; the unsteady wooden pegs and the way it creaked so loudly beneath their feet always made her apprehensive. She was relieved when they'd finally made it unscathed to the cove's door, and the all-too-familiar sight of the shore greeted them once they opened it.

"They can't have gone too far," Amaya contemplated.

"They definitely don't have any reason to." Riku's gaze was locked onto a log resting merely a few feet away from them. He examined it briefly before hauling it over his shoulder.

"That only leaves two more."

"At this rate, I might as well find the rest of them."

"Well, doesn't look like we'll have to look much further. There they are." Amaya pointed to the center of the beach, where Sora sat on his knees. He wasn't alone; Kairi stood a short distance away, looking over the coast. The two seemed to be having a conversation.

"Break time's over," Riku announced, turning in their direction as he began to walk over towards them, log now hooked under his arm. Amaya followed close behind, wondering how the lecturing was going to pan out.

"I'd like to see it too," she overheard Sora saying. "Along with any other worlds out there. I want to see 'em all!"

"So, what are we waiting for?" Kairi responded gleefully, large grin on her face. Amaya noticed Riku's grip on the log tighten as they approached the two.

_'Here we go…'_  she thought to herself.

"Hey, aren't you guys forgetting about us?" Riku interrupted, a snide smirk on his face. Sora and Kairi looked towards the two of them in surprise. "So, guess Amaya and I are the only ones working on the raft." He shook his head in disappointment before suddenly tossing the log at Sora, who let out a lazy yell.

"That's not a blitzball," Amaya cringed as Sora miraculously caught it. Kairi giggled.

"And you're just as lazy as he is," Riku teased, hands on his hips as he now turned his attention to her.

"So you noticed," Kairi responded with a cheeky chuckle.

"Can't say the two of you are very good at hiding it," Amaya sighed, arms crossed as she seated herself next to Sora. "And what were you doing, taking a nap?" Her younger brother sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, all but confirming her suspicions. She couldn't entirely blame him; they'd already been at it for a few hours, and it wasn't even noon yet.

"Okay, okay, we'll finish it together," Kairi reassured as Riku, too, seated himself. She wouldn't let him remain comfortable for too long. "I'll race you!"

"Huh?" Sora asked, taken aback. Amaya couldn't help but groan at the suggestion.

"What, are you kidding?" Riku groaned.

She wasn't.

"Ready? Go!"

And just like that, both boys were simultaneously up on their feet, inadvertently hurling the log at Amaya in the process.

"Hey, watch it!" she called after them, though her words were of no avail. The two boys were neck and neck and already about halfway to their finish line, Kairi trailing several yards behind them. Begrudgingly, she stood up to follow and catch up to them, kicking at the log to roll it along with her. Deciding she didn't want to end up scuffing the toe of her yellow sandal, she opted to drag it with her arms instead. As she began to walk backwards to pull it, she noticed three tiny rowboats headed towards the islet.

"I definitely got you that time!" she overheard Sora arguing. "Right, Kairi?!"

"Pfft, if you really need lies to boost your ego that badly," Riku pestered.

"I was too far behind to see," Kairi admitted with a chortle. "Let's just call it a draw!"

"I was definitely two steps ahead!" Sora rebutted.

"You know," Amaya grunted, putting her back into lugging the log, "instead of wasting time…arguing…" She finally dropped it, clapping her hands together to dust them off. "We really should get a move on. Looks like Wakka and co. are on their way over here."

"Sora, you start looking for the rest of your things," Riku commanded as he scurried over to collect the log. "You two, come with me."

"Yes, sir!" Sora and Kairi saluted in unison. Sora ran off to hopefully fulfill his assigned task, while Amaya held the door to the cove open, allowing the other two to pass through.

"Be careful," Amaya warned as Riku began to cross the rickety bridge, the heavy log still under his arm.

"It's fiiiine," he called back to her. She nervously watched as each plank of wood creaked beneath his feet.

"Come on, let's go," Kairi said, linking her arm with the older girl. Amaya obliged, and in no time (though she may have argued otherwise), they were back at the raft construction site. Riku requested the two of them continue working on the varnishing while he went back to help Sora obtain the rest of the supplies.

"This stuff smells pretty strong, huh?" Kairi noted as she reached for a paintbrush.

"Tell me about it," Amaya agreed, grabbing another one for herself. The two squatted down onto the sand to begin their chore. They chattered away as they seemed to fly through the logs.

They'd gone through several more of them when something seemed to have caught Kairi's eye.

"Something wrong?" Amaya inquired, noticing Kairi's distracted state.

"Nope," she replied, scooting closer to the edge of the coast. Her hand plunged into the wet sand to pull out a small, pearly object. "Perfect!"

"Is that a thalassa shell?"

"Yep!" Kairi nodded. She reached into her pocket to pull out several more – these, however, were sewn together at their wide bases. "I'm making a charm, and this is the last one I'll need to finish it!"

"A charm, huh?" Kairi certainly had a knack for arts and crafts, though this seemed to be something more than just a decorative art piece. "Like the ones sailors used to make?"

"Uh-huh!" Kairi placed the shells back into her pocket. "To ensure we have a safe journey."

"Just like the legend says, huh?" Amaya couldn't help but grin.

"Will that be enough to convince you to come with us?" Kairi asked, returning to her workspace as the two resumed their brushstrokes.

"As sweet as the sentiment is, I think it's going to take a little more than a myth to convince me this is all going to go smoothly."

"Guess I forgot who I was dealing with! But, come on, it won't be any fun without you."

"Honestly, if it's the level of fun you're worried about, I think it's even better for you if I don't come along."

"Aw, that's not true," Kairi reassured, sliding over to work on one of the log's ends. "Besides, who else is gonna keep Sora and Riku in line?"

"Not like they listen to anything I say, anyway," Amaya sighed, feeling exasperated just at the thought of having to mediate between the two. "You'd do a better job of that than I ever could."

"Because that's how our group works! I'm the cool Dad who's there to back you, the naggy Mom!"

"So that's how it is, huh?" Amaya chuckled, now picturing Kairi as a tall young man.

She had to admit, the image was quite a dapper one.

"Joking aside," Kairi cut in, "to be honest, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. I'm not very confident this is going to work, either."

This was news to Amaya. "Really? Then, why are you still on board with all of this?" It then dawned on her. "Oh, your original world, right?"

"Hm, yeah, I have been thinking about that a lot, but that's not really why. It kind of hit me recently – or maybe it's just the way I've felt about it subconsciously all along. Whether we find my original world or not, the most important thing to me is that I'm with you guys. So, you not being on this trip with us…it just wouldn't feel right to me."

"Kairi…"

"So, get over yourself and take the chance!" Kairi concluded, softly punching Amaya on the shoulder. "It'll be an adventure, no matter how you look at it."

"Hehe, well,  _if_  I do decide to go, at least I know you'll be there to keep me somewhat sane."

"Of course! Whatever it takes to keep the four of us together."

* * *

"Sora, move your finger," Amaya ordered. He obliged, loosening his hold to watch her fiddle with the last bit of rope.

"You got it?" he inquired as she securely fastened the final knot.

"Yeah, double check it for me." He poked around and pulled at it, making sure everything was in place.

"Looks good to me!"

"So…we're done?" Kairi asked.

"We're done!" Amaya confirmed, dusting her hands off. "And right before sunset, too." The sky was a swirl of subtle red and pink hues, the sun's golden rays on their descent to the edge of the horizon.

"All in a day's work!" Sora grinned triumphantly.

"Yeah, great job you guys," Riku said, inspecting the now-complete raft. He walked across its base and wiggled the mast to ensure it was properly locked in. The sail flapped slightly at the ocean breeze's caresses. "You wanna take it for a test spin?"

"We probably should, just to make sure it floats with all of us on it," Amaya agreed. Sora eagerly grabbed the makeshift paddle as the three hopped on. Riku stepped off, feet briefly submerged in the shallow salty water to give the raft a push before rejoining the group.

"It's working!" Kairi clapped as they remained afloat.

"Thank goodness," Amaya let out a sigh of relief, thankful the structure they'd built was staying intact.

" _Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!"_  Sora sang, arms raised in the air.

" _We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,"_ Kairi followed.

_"Drink up, me 'earties, yo-ho!"_  the four now hummed in unison.  _"Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!"_  They went through the next several verses of one of their favorite childhood rhymes before bursting out into laughter.

Even Amaya had to admit to herself that she was having fun.

"This is gonna be awesome," Sora stated, standing up. He leaned against mast, sky blue eyes fixated on the endless waters ahead in wonder.

"Where to, Captain Sora?" Kairi giggled.

"Hey, we never decided that," Riku cut in before Sora could open his mouth.

"I'm sure you guys'll figure some way to compete over it tomorrow," Amaya mediated, rolling her eyes.

"Hmph, you're on!" Sora exclaimed, pointing a finger at Riku.

"What's our score so far again?" he snidely asked.

"Doesn't matter! We'll both get one shot, and whoever wins tomorrow gets to be Captain."

"Alright, deal." Riku flashed a confident smirk. "First mate."

"You'll eat those words when you become the swabbie!"

"Won't know 'til tomorrow," Kairi intervened, though clearly amused. "We should probably be getting back now, though."

"Right," Riku agreed, grasping for the paddle as he began to redirect the raft back towards the shore. Amaya flashed an appreciative smile at Kairi, who gave her a reassuring nod.

It wasn't long before they returned to the coast. The four hopped off the raft once in shallow waters, each positioning themselves that a different corner of the base to help push it back onto land.

"So, up to your standards?" Riku asked, directing the inquiry at Amaya.

"Better than I thought it was going to be," she conceded. "Having no border around the edges still makes me nervous, but there was plenty of space. Of course, we're going to need to make sure our provisions don't bog us down too much, either."

"That's what we're doing tomorrow, right?" Sora inquired.

"Yep!" Kairi nodded, pulling the list from her pocket. "Bring your fishing rods tomorrow, guys."

"Will do!" After setting the raft, the squad made their way back around to the other side of the Play Island. The beach was barren; it seemed everyone else had already gone home for the day.

"How about we watch the sunset?" Kairi suggested.

"Sure," Riku agreed. "If everything goes well tomorrow, this might be one of the last ones we'll get to watch on land for a while." Amaya had to fight the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as they wandered over towards the seaside shack. Inside and up the stairs they went to reach the bridge, which they crossed to reach the paopu tree.

Amaya was the first to climb onto the tree trunk, seating herself closest to its palm leaves. Sora followed, and Kairi took the spot next to him. Riku stood by the far end, arms crossed as he reclined against it. The four listened to the symphony of the waves, admiring the picturesque view of the twilight sky.

It was Sora who finally broke the trance. "So, Kairi's world is out there somewhere, right?"

_'This again,'_  Amaya thought to herself, thinking back to her earlier conversation with her. Though it was a topic that had been frequently brought up over the week, this was the first time all four of them were sitting to discuss it together. Kairi seemed unfazed by the question.

"Could be," Riku contemplated. "We'll never know by staying here."

"But…how far could a raft take us?"

"You're asking this now?" Amaya huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Just how long had she been asking the same question?

"Who knows?" Riku responded.

Amaya was inches away from tearing the hair out of her head. "Weren't you the one who said it would definitely work last week?"

"I wasn't necessarily referring to this plan," Riku explained. "This is the best we've got for now."

"You sound confident," she deadpanned.

"I am confident," he retorted. "Remember that kid my dad told me about when we were younger?"

"Kid?" Kairi parroted, seemingly as baffled as the other two were. "What kid?"

"A long time ago, there was this one kid who they say left for good. If he could get off this island, then we definitely can, too. We just have to find a way." He uncrossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips as he locked his gaze to the palm of his hand.

"Your bandage wrap bothering you?" Amaya asked, otherwise baffled by the rather strange gesture.

"It is pretty overkill," he nodded, unraveling her handiwork from earlier. She couldn't help but let out a sigh. At least their work for the day was done.

"Anyway, you do realize that story's a legend, right?"

"Legends have to stem from somewhere," he shrugged. Well, there was some truth to that, she had to admit.

"Hey, wasn't there also that lady we met one time?" Sora asked. "Back when we were really little."

"Yep," Riku nodded.

"Lady?" Kairi inquired, unaware as to who the boys were referring to.

"Hm, now that I think about it, there were a couple of strange instances…" Amaya reminisced aloud. "Did we never mention it to you? It was before you came here, Kairi."

"Really? A 'couple instances?'" Sora was wracking his head. "I only remember that one lady, and even then I can barely remember what exactly happened."

"All I remember about her is that we only saw her once, right over there." Amaya pointed to a spot on the beach, right underneath the bridge.

"Yeah, she was dressed really funny."

"I don't remember exactly what she said…something about looking after one another, maybe?"

"Yeah, something like that," Riku nodded. "Whatever she told us, it was quick, and we never saw her again. Considering we know everyone who lives on the Island…she had to have been someone from another world."

"There was that big, kinda scary-looking man, too, wasn't there?" She glanced over at Riku, who was simply staring straight on ahead.

He was the only one who'd talked to him.

"Can't say I remember the guy you're talking about," Riku shrugged. There was no way…

"Yeah, you sure you're not making him up?" Sora asked, clearly unaware of the person she was referencing. He was there with them, but…well, he was a year younger than they were, after all.

"Maybe I'm misremembering," Amaya conceded, though mentally noting to grill Riku on the subject later.

And of course, there was that one other woman, with whom she'd had an exchange she could never forget…but that was her secret.

Were they both hiding something from one another?

"Anyway, fine, there was a stranger who likely visited from another world," Amaya continued. "We've got Kairi here, too. The existence of other worlds or the idea of traveling between them isn't the issue – it's the 'how.'"

"Well, if we have to, we'll think of something else. But we'll definitely find a way."

"So," Kairi started, finally redirecting the conversation away from the now-moot point, "suppose you get to another world. What would you do there?"

"Hm…Well, I haven't really thought about it," Riku admitted. "It's just…I've always wondered why we're here, on this island." He closed his eyes in contemplation. "There are other worlds out there, so ours must be just a little piece of something much greater. If you think about it, we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?"

"I don't know," Sora responded simply as he pivoted in his seat to lay himself down, head now resting in his older sister's lap.

"Exactly. That's why we need to go out there and find out." Amaya couldn't help but notice the excitement in his aquamarine eyes as she began to absentmindedly play with Sora's spiky hair. He began to walk over to the edge of the islet. "Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's the same old stuff. So let's go."

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Kairi asked.

"Thanks to you," Riku replied with a sincere smile as he turned to look back at her. Amaya felt Sora's head rise slightly, his eyes narrowing as he looked to be intently paying attention to the scene unfolding. "Sure, there was that lady we met a really long time ago, but…if you hadn't come here and lived with us, I probably would've never seriously considered any of this. Kairi, thanks."

"You're welcome," she replied with an uncertain chuckle, her gaze pointed at her shoes.

They all remained for a few more moments before ultimately deciding to retire for the day. Kairi and Amaya went on ahead, Riku having held Sora back to apparently discuss something.

"Hey, Amaya?" Kairi asked, as they approached the seaside shack.

"What's up?"

"What do you think Riku will actually do…if none of this works?"

"You know him just as well as I do," Amaya chuckled as she reached for the door.

"Whatever it takes, huh?" Kairi smiled. They began their descent down the stairs. "In a way, it's pretty admirable."

"Admirable in some instances," Amaya agreed. "Stupid in others." The sand crunched beneath their feet as they made their way over to the docks.

"Riku!" Sora irately called from above. The two girls looked up towards the bridge to see him chasing down the older boy, laughing as he ran several yards ahead of him. It wasn't long before Riku joined them on the beach.

"What's going on?" Kairi asked, amused.

"Nothing!" Sora called as caught up. Amaya couldn't help but notice the star-shaped fruit lying under the bridge.

She could put two and two together.

"Come on, let's go home." Kairi turned to leave. Sora was the first to follow, hands linked behind his head.

Amaya held Riku back.

"You know," she began, "it's kind of dumb to tease someone over something you don't have the guts to do yourself."

"What're you talking about?" he groaned, hands on his hips. Her eyes shifted suggestively towards auburn-haired girl on the dock.

"I saw that paopu fruit," she stated.

"And?" She gave him a knowing look. "You don't know anything," he defiantly huffed.

"It doesn't hurt to say how you really feel every now and then, you know," she teased as they began to walk.

"Hmph."

Either way, it was finally time to go home.

* * *

Amaya sat in front of her vanity, raking a brush through her the ends of her thick hair. She was just about ready for bed, already changed into her cotton nightgown.

Her bedroom door suddenly creaked open.

"Amaya!" She turned to see her five-year-old sister standing in the doorway.

"Haru, you know you're supposed to knock, love," Amaya responded, shaking her head. The little girl paid her no heed, welcoming herself into the bedroom. "And shouldn't you be in bed?" she followed up, noting she was already clad in pajamas.

"Will you read me this story?!" she asked excitedly, arms outstretched with a book. Though not very thick, its cover was rather wide. A large yellow bird appeared under the title,  _A Chocobo's Nest._  "Mommy bought it for me when she picked me up from my field trip!"

"Alright," she chuckled, taking the book from her small hands.

"Yippee!" Haru cried. "Let me get Sora!" Amaya watched as Haru ran into the bathroom. She heard the metal knob of the door on the other side clanging.

"I probably should have reminded her to knock…" Amaya mused.

"Sora!" she heard Haru yell, before bursting out into a shrieking laughter. "Haha! I can see your butt! Hahaha!"

Amaya couldn't help but snort at the image.

"Haru, get out of here!" Sora bashfully retorted. "I'm trying to change!"

"Come to Amaya's room when you're done!"

"Close the door, will ya?!"

It was only after a howling Haru returned to Amaya's room that his bedroom door slammed shut.

"What am I going to do with them?" Amaya chortled, seating herself on the ground to recline against the edge of her bed. Haru began skipping around on the rug as the two girls waited for their brother to join them.

" _Haru…_ " a low, reverberating voice sounded from the bathroom. The girl stopped in her tracks. " _Haru…_ " the voice repeated itself once more.

"Amaya," Haru whispered, sapphire eyes wide, "I think there's a monster in your bathroom!"

"What should we do?" Amaya asked intensely, feigning shock at the suggestion.

"We should – "

"Too late!" Sora leapt out and practically tackled Haru to the ground. "The Tickle Monster has arrived!"

"N-no – ah!" Haru was shrieking once more, defenseless against Sora's ambush of tickles. "S-Sora, s-s-stop! Ahahaha!"

"I can't hear youuuu," he taunted mischievously.

"A-Amaya! Help!"

"Hmm?"

"M-make it – ahaha – stop!"

"Make what stop?" Amaya asked, innocently reaching a hand out towards her. "Do you mean…this?" She aimed for Haru's belly – her weakest point.

"N-no! Ahahahaha!"

Eventually, after what must have felt like an eternity to the five-year-old, her older siblings finally ceased their assault. She lay on the ground, chest heaving and face bright pink from laughter as she recovered.

"C-can we read the story now?" she wheezed.

"Oh, is that what we're doing?" Sora inquired as he drew Haru into his lap.

"Yeah!" Haru affirmed. "Amaya's going to read it, but you have to make the 'kweh kweh' noises!"

"You do do a good chocobo impression," Amaya nodded, flipping to the first page.

"It's not just 'good,' it's the best," Sora clarified. "Right, Haru?"

"Right!"

The trio sat huddled together as Amaya read the story in a slow and soothing tone. Haru listened intently as she sat on her older brother's legs. Anytime a chocobo would speak in the narration, Sora made sure to flap his arms and show off his almost uncanny imitation of the large bird.

"You kids are all still up?" The three looked up to see their mother standing in the doorway just as Amaya had finished the final page.

"Reading Haru her bedtime story," Amaya explained.

"What do you say to your brother and sister, Haru?" The girl was practically nodding off.

"Thank you," she said with a loud yawn.

"No prob!" Sora responded, ruffling her hair.

"Alright, now, time for bed," Mom chided.

"But I'm not sleepy," Haru protested before letting out another huge yawn. Mom chuckled as she stepped into the bedroom.

"You've been missing your siblings, haven't you?" she asked as Sora passed Haru over to her. The girl meekly nodded in her mother's arms. "Maybe this weekend, we can all do something together. How does that sound?"

Haru was already sound asleep.

"Well, then," Mom giggled, before turning her attention to her older children. "She really looks up to you two, you know."

"Right," Amaya replied with a small smile.

"I'm going to go put this one down. You two should be getting to sleep soon, too."

"Will do, Mom," Sora assured with a yawn of his own, standing to stretch.

"I love you both," she said softly before turning to leave. "Good night."

"Good night!" Sora and Amaya called after her in unison.

"Welp, I'm heading to bed," Sora announced, looking down at Amaya, who was still seated. "Hey, Sis…why the long face?"

"What if we're not here this weekend?" Amaya considered aloud, eyes locked on the ground.

"We probably won't be. What's the problem?"

"Didn't you hear what Mom said? Or even Haru?" She lifted her head to look at him. "She wants to spend time with us."

"Right..." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, eyes narrowed. They were silent for a few moments, before he spoke once more. "But, we'll spend plenty of time with her when we come back." He began to perk back up. "We'll tell her all about our adventures! Maybe even bring her a cool souvenir." He noticed his sister's solemn expression remained unchanged. "What?"

"It's nothing," she sighed, scooting up to sit down on her bed. "I'm just really tired. I'll see you in the morning."

"Alright then. See ya."

Once Sora had left, she turned out the lights and got under her covers. She made sure to switch on the nightlight – the nightmares continued to come and go over the past several days.

But that wasn't what was bothering her at that moment. While she admired Sora's optimism, there was only one thought that flooded her mind.

What kind of example were they setting?

* * *

"Yuffie…"

She stirred slightly, adjusting herself into a much more comfortable position beneath the plush duvet.

"Yuffie…"

What a racket…Perhaps the duvet would also be useful for blocking out the noise? She tried exactly that, disappearing under the sheets like a woodchuck foraging itself into the ground.

"Yuffie!" And just like that, the covers were whipped away. Her burrow had been breached! And it was it so damn cold! "Yuffie, it's morning. Time to get up."

"Mornings are a social construct, Aerith," the younger girl grumbled. "Especially in this world." She groggily cracked her large brown eyes open to shoot a glare at the intruder. The brunette stood in front of her, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. That annoying, sugary sweet smile was plastered on her lips.

"Be that as it may be, you're on duty soon," Aerith replied firmly. "And they just brought up breakfast. You don't want it to go cold, do you?" Yuffie gave her a pointed look before rolling back over onto her side into a fetal position. It was time to up the ante. "Well, I guess I'm just going to eat the strawberry crepes all by myself."

Yuffie jolted up. "With extra butter and powdered sugar?!"

"Exactly the way you like them," Aerith nodded.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" With that, the girl practically flew out of the bed, feet padding against the velvety carpet as she rushed towards the small cart in the corner of the room. "Man, forget our stupid house!" she exclaimed over the clanking and clamor of the metal utensils. "The hotel life is where it's at!"

"Don't get too used to it," Aerith chided. "Leon said that we should be able to get back in the next couple of days."

"Only for the Heartless to mess it all up again in a couple of weeks," Yuffie replied, stuffing her face. Powdered sugar already crusted her lips, and strands of her short, dark hair stuck to her face. "Seriously, we might as well stay here."

"You know the hotel can't host us for long." Aerith sauntered over to the wide glass doors that overlooked the patio. "This isn't a resort, it's a place for new refugees from the lost worlds. You know, the people we swore to protect?"

"Have we been getting a lot of those lately?"

"They've been trickling in," Aerith admitted, taking a gander at the perpetually dark sky. "And the Heartless' numbers are growing every day. The stars have been blinking out even more frequently than they usually do, too."

"Meaning…?"

"More worlds are disappearing, and the residents of Traverse Town are in more danger than ever." She turned back to give the younger girl a stern look. "As the Keepers of this place, we're going to need to step it up while we wait for the Keybearer to arrive."

"Shpeakh foh yo'self." Yuffie took a giant gulp, the next bite of her meal now sliding down her throat. "I'm always on my A game!"

"You're going to need to be," Aerith nodded. "You're paired with Serah today."

"What?! Why am I babysitting?"

"Didn't you say you were the best sensei the world's ever seen?"

"I totally am!" Yuffie responded haughtily. "And now I see exactly why you're pairing her with me. It's going to be great!"

"Good," Aerith clapped. "Remember, it's her first time on duty today, so be nice."

"I'll whip her into shape!"

Aerith sighed, turning her attention back to the stars above. To a newcomer, one would think it a beautiful sight – they shined brighter here than they did in any other world. But after days, weeks, even years, the view grew old…stagnant.

Still, she had to count her blessings. Though she'd give almost anything to know what it felt to have the sunlight beam down on her face once more, at the rate the stars were blinking out, it was a miracle there were any left to light up the sky.

And hopefully,  _he_  was somewhere still out there, safe and sound on one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, this one was a more difficult one for me to write. Plot-wise, not much moved forward, but I did want to use this chapter to ground Amaya a little better while further establishing her relationships with the cast before all hell breaks loose.
> 
> You might have recognized some scenes, lol. Of course, they don't play out exactly as they do in the game; the one that mirrored the game's very first cutscene was slightly edited to (hopefully) make Amaya fit in a little better, but I went in a little harder with the sunset scene. I noticed as I rewatched the dialogue in game that it did kind of retcon BBS. I might have let it slid, but if y'all still remember the prologue, that stuff may or may not be kind of important to this fic lol.
> 
> Another one of the points of this fic is to shed a little light on family dynamics. One thing that made this hard was figuring out what kind of structure I wanted for Riku's family; I didn't want to dedicate a whole scene for his family, but I figured it was important to at least mention. And of course, these things will all be expanded upon as we go further in.
> 
> So, yeah? What did you guys think? What's up with those mysterious people they were talking about at sunset? And who's Aerith thinking about? Comments always appreciated, and thank you for all the kudos so far! :)


	5. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The squad completes preparations for their journey, which is supposedly supposed to be tomorrow...

"I can't believe we're this late!" Sora exclaimed, untying the boat from the dock.

"I told you to set an alarm," Amaya responded, hauling along their fishing supplies as she climbed in.

"You should have woken me up!" He grasped the oars and began mowing through the ocean onwards to the Play Island. The sun crept closer to its peak, its rays beating down on their rowing boat. "How come  _you're_  so relaxed about this, anyway?!"

"I wanted to sleep in, too," Amaya shrugged. And that was only half the truth – to be completely honest, she wasn't exactly looking forward to this day.

It was the last day before they planned to embark, after all.

"Riku's gonna give us an earful," Sora groaned, picking up his pace.

"He'll get over it."

They approached the Play Island at light speed. Sora hastily tethered the rowing boat to the dock amongst the many already present once they arrived, hopping out before Amaya could even stand. She made her way onto the beach at a leisurely pace, Sora jogging paces ahead of her.

"Yo, Sora, Amaya!" The pair looked over to see Tidus and Wakka waving them over by the seaside shack.

"Hey guys!" Sora greeted back, stopping in his tracks.

"Good morning!" Amaya waved.

"You busy today?" Tidus asked excitedly.

"Me and Tidus, we're gonna go to the Secret Place," Wakka explained. "Do a little explorin', ya?"

The 'Secret Place'? Amaya's gaze wandered over towards the waterfall in the backdrop. A thick coat of ivy vines matted the surrounding wall, working in tandem with the mist to practically camouflage the small, dark opening that lead to that tiny, cramped hidden cave.

Just thinking about it gave Amaya the jitters.

"That sounds awesome," Sora started, "but, we're kinda tied up for the day."

"Ugh, you guys are workin' on that secret project of yours again, aren't you?" Tidus groaned. "Aren't you guys gonna let us in on it?"

"It wouldn't be much of a 'secret' then, would it?" Amaya chuckled, pressing a finger to her lips.

"Kind of like the  _Secret_  Place," Tidus rebutted.

"Anyway, you guys see Riku and Kairi around here?" Sora asked. The other boys' expression soured. "What?"

"Ya missed it," Wakka sighed, shaking his head. The siblings exchanged a perplexed glance.

"Riku took us all on three-to-one, and he whooped us all," Tidus explained, fists clenched.

"He what?!" Sora gasped. Amaya couldn't help but groan, knowing exactly what was going through her younger brother's mind.

"Ya, Selphie had to go back and get herself another jump rope," Wakka recalled, referencing the girl's rather odd weapon of choice for sparring.

"One day…" Tidus muttered wistfully, before shaking his head. "Well, at least Kairi can always count on him."

If there were any words to fire Sora up…

"Hey, Riku's not the only one!" Sora exclaimed, pointing a finger. "When Selphie gets back, it's you three against me!"

"Pfft, you barely beat me yesterday," Tidus snorted.

"But he still did beat ya," Wakka pointed out with a cheeky grin. Tidus shot him a glare.

"Weren't you the one who was complaining about being late, Sora?" Amaya asked, grabbing him by the wrist. "Come on, let's go find the others."

"R-Right!" Sora agreed. "But I'll be back!"

"Can't wait to make a sand castle out of you," Tidus retorted, tongue stuck out. Amaya yanked at Sora once more.

"Riku and Kairi don't need you getting all banged up right before the big day," she chided, as they finally began to make their way over to the cove. "Trying to take three people on at once is just asking for trouble."

"What, you don't think I can do it either, Sis?!"

"I didn't say that," she sighed, reaching for the door. "But just 'cause Riku does something, doesn't mean you have to do it, too. You both have your own strengths and weaknesses, just like any other two people."

"Yeah, but…"

"Hm?" Amaya gave him an inquisitive look as they stopped right before the bridge. Sora's expression was hard to read, but she could figure out what he was thinking. "You do have things that you're better at, you know."

"Like what?" The two began to cross the rickety bridge at a slow pace. Amaya held on to Sora's arm.

"You're a good big brother, for one."

"Riku doesn't have any younger brothers or sisters," Sora pouted.

"Okay, fine. Let's see…" She began wracking her brain for  _something_. Of course, she couldn't take too long – otherwise, she'd be proving his point. "You don't annoy me…as much."

"Well, can you blame him? He has to see your face at school all the time, too."

"Hey!" Amaya gave him a light shove once they'd finally gotten back onto solid ground. Sora laughed as he ran up ahead, and she shook her head before following him.

At least his sense of humor was less irritating, she'd give him that.

The raft came into view the moment Amaya descended the stairs. It was in the same place they'd left it the night before, tucked away in the corner of the beachy area. Riku and Kairi were perched atop it, appearing deeply engrossed in conversation. Riku was focused on whatever Kairi was fiddling with in her hands.

"Hey, guys!" Sora called. The two looked up to see the boy running towards them.

"About time," Riku scoffed, standing up.

"Sorry we're late!"

"You're telling me?" Riku then turned his attention to Amaya, who'd caught up. "Him I get," he pointed to Sora, "but what's your excuse?"

"Calm down," Amaya defiantly huffed. "Lecturing us is just gonna waste more time. Let's just get this over with."

"I've got the list right here!" Kairi interjected, waving a small sheet of paper in her hand. Amaya also couldn't help but notice the object in her lap. She recognized it as the charm she'd been working on the day before, now nearly completed.

"Alright, let's delegate," Riku ordered. Kairi began reading the page aloud.

"Do we really have to bring mushrooms?" she cringed.

"But it goes so well with barramundi!" Sora rebutted.

"There's this one sauce our mom makes that's amazing," Amaya nodded.

"Is your mom doing the cooking here?" Kairi's face fell. It was then that Amaya noticed the portable grill top and a box full of various cooking supplies, which she must have brought along with her for the day.

"I don't mind helping you if you need me to," Amaya reassured.

"We want the food to be edible," Riku snorted.

"I burn toast one time at your house –"

"You also set off the fire alarm trying to boil water a couple of weeks ago," Sora mused.

"That's – !"

"It's okay, Amaya," Kairi warily butted it. "I got it." Amaya couldn't help but pout.

"Anyway," Riku started, "if it's all decided, let's get a move on. If we all work together and stay on task, we should still be able to finish by sundown."

"Alright, break!" Sora announced before running off. The other three wandered off in different directions, on the lookout for their assigned items.

Fish and mulberries were on Amaya's agenda. The latter was easy enough; there were a few plentiful bushes by the waterfall near the Secret Place. She grabbed one of the baskets they'd stored with the rest of their supplies before sauntering back off towards the shore to obtain what she needed.

"Sis!" she heard Sora's voice call from above. "Look at these seagull eggs!"

"Sora, be careful!" Amaya blanched. He was perched atop the tallest palm tree by the second level of the seaside shack, and of course, its trunk wasn't exactly the sturdiest. Did he really have to be such a risk-taker?! One wrong move and…Well, she didn't want to think about that.

"I got it, I got it!" he reassured her, reaching an arm out to scoop them up into his basket. She watched nervously as he slid his way down, finally exhaling once his feet safely hit the ground.

"Put it over with the rest of the stash, before the mama bird comes back," she told him.

Sora obliged, hauling his items with him as he made his was back towards the raft. Amaya continued on towards the waterfall, sights set on the densely packed mulberry bushes by the opening to that ominous hole in the wall.

It was hard to stifle a gulp when she approached it. Riku and Sora used to love going inside of those dark depths and explore what they dubbed the "Secret Place" when they were children. Sometimes even Kairi would go along with them, but Amaya had never been able to make it past the entrance, always afraid of what could be lurking inside. All these years later, and she'd still never set foot within. What she knew about it came from her friends: the doodles and carvings on the walls, the eerie wail of the wind, and that mysterious door that didn't actually open. She had to admit, two of those three things did make her curious, but her anxieties always held her back.

There was a time when she felt insecure about her fears – in fact, if she was being completely honest with herself, it still bothered her to a degree. Shouldn't she have grown past something as trivial as that by now? But then, that young woman's words would always come back to her.

" _Ya know, kid, sometimes admitting that you're afraid is the bravest thing you can do."_

That small fragment of that memory returned as she began filling up the bottles in her basket with some fresh water from the waterfall, and her internal conflicts began to surface once more. Would this stuff really be enough for as long they intended to be away?

…They wouldn't truly know until they actually embarked, would they? And would she even be included in that "they"? There were still so many questions to consider, yet so little time.

She decided to shelve the thoughts for now. Whether or not she would be going was still up in the air, but those three were going to go no matter how much she protested. The most important thing in that moment was that they would be as well-prepared as possible, and that was what she needed to be devoting her energy towards for now.

Berries and fresh water in tow, Amaya decided to head back and store what she'd found so far. She treaded towards the door to the cove, and opened it to find Sora and Riku, backs turned to her.

"Huh?!" Sora jumped, apparently at whatever Riku had just said.

"Deal?" Riku smirked, turning towards the younger boy. "The winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi."

It took every fiber of Amaya's being to not drop her items.

"Wha…Wait a minute – !" Sora began, but before he or Amaya could form a complete thought, Kairi, standing several yards away, raised her arm.

"Okay. On my count!" she called. Riku squatted into position, it was just before Kairi finally said "Go!" that Sora remembered to get into his stance as well. And like that, the two were off.

"What was that all about?" Amaya asked, cautiously approaching the other girl.

"Winner gets to name the raft or something," Kairi shrugged.

"So that's what they told you," Amaya sighed. She disappointedly stood back and watched the boys grapple over the ladder to the zipline. It was Sora who ultimately decided to bail and take an alternate way around. It seemed the usual rule of no set route still applied.

She couldn't help but notice the aura between the two felt more intense than it normally did when they were competing, and it wasn't hard to guess why.

"Mm, these are sweet!" Amaya turned to see that "why" – Kairi – munching on a few berries.

"Don't eat all of them," she teased, hugging the basket closer.

"I could make a quick jam with those…"

It wasn't long before Sora and Riku returned, hobbling down the creaky bridge. They were neck and neck, practically shoving at each other to get to the finish line.

"Do they really have to go so fast?" Amaya flinched.

But of course they did – the stakes were set too high, after all.

They were so stupid.

_CRACK._

"Gah!" Sora yelled.

_SPLASH!_

"Sora!" Amaya called out, shoving past Riku to the get to the edge of the ledge. Kairi was right behind her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine…" he groaned. He sat up in the shallow water where the wooden board had fallen, hair dripping onto his face.

"I told you guys you need to be careful on that bridge!" There was suddenly another splash below her.

"You alright?" Riku asked, hardly stifling his laughter as he waded through to get to the younger boy. A glaring Sora nodded, taking his hand to stand up. The two climbed back up on to the ledge, and Amaya immediately began checking her brother over for scrapes and bruises.

"I'm fine, Sis, I'm fine!" Sora huffed, swatting her away. "Man, now the score's 15 to 20!"

"Hmph," Riku smirked. "Alright, we're naming the raft 'Highwind.'" Sora's fists were clenched, sapphire eyes full of rage.

If Amaya had to guess, Sora's anger likely wasn't related to the raft naming.

"Well, guess it's settled," Kairi giggled. "Anyway, I'm gonna head back and count up what we've got so far!" She began making her way down the bridge. Amaya turned to follow, though she opted to hang back when she began to overhear the boys again.

"So, um, since you won…" Sora began, his voice shaky.

"What, the paopu thing?" Riku snorted. "You thought I was being serious? Man, you should see the look on your face!"

"The fact that you brought it up in the first place is kinda gross," Amaya interrupted, arms crossed.

"You, too?" Riku lamented. "Come on, it was a joke."

"One that you're lucky she didn't hear," she retorted. "Kairi's not a prize, you know." Sora's frustration seemed to have somewhat dissipated, his expression now one full of amusement. She figured he was enjoying watching her lecture the older boy. "I'm not taking sides here, by the way. You're just as culpable as he is for taking it seriously. Ultimately, whether or not she even wants to share one with anyone is completely up to her."

"Well, yeah, obviously," Riku groaned. "Lighten up."

"Yeah, Sis," Sora chuckled bashfully. "We were totally just kidding around!"

"Oh, yeah, you were messing around, too, huh?" Riku sneered. He pulled the younger boy into a headlock and began vigorously rubbing the top of his head. Amaya rolled her eyes as she watched them.

Who was she kidding? They were never going to admit anything to her.

"Gah, Riku!" Sora began attempting to grapple his way out of his clutches. By the time Riku finally let him free, he was beet red in the face, gasping for air. He took a moment to catch his breath before turning back towards his sister. "Anyway…Even if it was a joke, we should apologize to her, shouldn't we?"

"For your sake, it's probably better she doesn't know," Amaya sighed, picking up her basket. "Just don't do it again."

"Yeah, yeah," Riku waved her off. "Anyway, enough dawdling. Let's get back to work."

"You're telling me?" Amaya scoffed, picking up her basket. The three very carefully crossed the now-broken bridge and walked over to reunite with Kairi.

"There you all are!" she waved as they approached.

"How's everything looking?" Riku asked.

"We're making pretty good progress," Kairi reassured. She then turned to Sora. "Here you go!"

"O-Oh, thanks!" Still quite damp from his tumble into the water, Sora graciously accepted the towel she handed him.

"Well, here's more to add to the pile," Amaya said, placing her basket and bottles with the rest of their supplies.

"What do you have left to find?" Kairi inquired.

"Fish," Amaya replied, reaching for the fishing kit she'd brought from home. "Sora, you wanna go hand fishing by the shore? I can take the boat. That way you can stay on the island and look for the rest of your stuff."

"Fine by me," he nodded.

"I'll leave you guys to it," Riku announced as he began to saunter off. Sora followed suit.

"Say, Amaya, mind if I come with you?" Kairi inquired. "I already found all my stuff, and it's not like I can really get started with cooking 'til you're all done anyway."

"You don't even have to ask," Amaya smiled. They returned to the shore to head over towards the docks and retrieve their rowing boats.

"There you girls are!" a voice rang out behind the girls as they began climbing up the steps. They turned to see a brunette clad in a banana yellow sundress jogging up towards them.

"Oh, hey Selphie!" Kairi greeted.

"Mind if I hang out with you guys?" Selphie exasperatedly asked. "Tidus and Wakka tried to get me to come into the Secret Place with them, but every time I'd turn around, they'd do something creepy to try and scare me!"

"So, basically, you're just tired of teenage boys being teenage boys, am I right?" Amaya laughed. "Join our club!"

"Amaya's the president," Kairi grinned. Chatter and laughter filled the air as the now-trio climbed into their boats and began paddling through the crystalline waters. They'd made it a few hundred feet off the coast before Amaya halted them.

"You really are an expert at this, huh?" Selphie observed, watching Amaya set up her fishing pole.

"My dad lives and breathes fishing," Amaya giggled. "He takes Sora and me on trips all the time." She fumbled through the lures in her case before settling on a lure, which she then worked on fastening to her line along with a hook.

"Ooh, yeah, he owns that market downtown, too, right?"

"Yep," Amaya nodded. Satisfied with her knot, she adjusted her reel before casting her line into the water. She noticed Selphie watching her intently, awaiting whatever might happen next. "Er, it might be a bit before I actually catch something."

"Time to play the waiting game," Kairi chuckled, sitting back. "So, anything you guys want to talk about?"

"Hmm…Any new books you guys have been reading?" Amaya suggested. "I've been meaning to buy some new ones for my library."

"There's this book of poems I finished the other day. You're welcome to borrow it!"

"Ooh, I might have to take you up on that offer."

"Have you guys heard of  _'Dusk'_?" Selphie inquired.

"Is that the one where a siren falls in love with a human boy?"

"Yeah!" Selphie affirmed. "She gets charmed to turn into looking like a human, and comes onto the Islands! She meets him in high school, and they start dating, and they even share a paopu – "

"Hey, spoilers!" Kairi cut her off, covering her ears.

"I'm sorry! But ah, it's so good! You girls really need to check it out!"

"I might give it a try," Amaya assured with a small smile.

"Pfft," Kairi sputtered. "I thought you hated those kinds of novels."

"What?!" Selphie exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"They're not usually my cup of tea, but I'm willing to give anything a try." It was painfully obvious Amaya was just trying to be polite.

"You're so going to hate it," Kairi teased.

"Do you not like romance?" Selphie inquired.

"I don't necessarily dislike romance," Amaya mused. "But  _teen_  romance isn't a genre that interests me much. I mean, it's the same formula: girl meets boy, there's an initial attraction – or if it's really badly written, they fall in deep love right away – the relationship builds, then there's some really dramatic conflict, but because  _love_  conquers all, it's all hunky dory in the end. It's just so…one-dimensional."

"Basically, Amaya's a literature snob," Kairi giggled.

"I just like my stories to be well-written and original, that's all," she huffed.

"So what's your perfect love story, Amaya?" Selphie asked, catching the older girl off-guard.

"Wha – ?"

"Ooh, I want to hear this!" Kairi leaned in, indigo eyes sparkling bright with interest.

"That's something I haven't really thought much about, to be honest," she contemplated aloud, clearly flustered.

"Are there any boys you like?"

"Ooh, yeah! There's a lot of good-looking ones in her class!" Kairi agreed.

"Like who?" Amaya thought back to her classmates of the opposite sex. Sure, she had a few handsome peers…

"There's the Asahi brothers!"

"Shuuichi's too quiet, Shoji's way too loud," Amaya shot back.

"Yuki?"

"His eyes are always glued on that handheld console of his."

"Wakka?" Selphie suggested.

"Probably one of the more polite and responsible boys in the class," Amaya agreed. "Rumor is he's got the hots for Lulu though." And truthfully, she just wasn't interested in him that way.

"Wait, really?!" Selphie gasped.

"He always sits next to her, and they definitely flirt. Well, he does, anyway…Lulu's not one of the most talkative people." She paused to notice the brunette was giving her a dumbfounded look. "What, you didn't know?"

There was a sly glint in Selphie's eyes. "I do now."

"Don't go too hard on him," Amaya warily warned, remembering how close the two were.

"There's gotta be someone…" Kairi was tapping her chin in contemplation.

"Oh!" Selphie exclaimed. "How could I forget?! What about Riku?"

Amaya leaned over the boat and gagged.

"Oh, come on! He's gotta be one of the cutest guys on the Island!"

"Why don't you go after him then?" Amaya groaned. Just the image of her and… _him_  of all people caused something acidic rise up her throat.

"I wonder which one of you would kill the other first," Kairi mused. "Maybe there'd be a Special Victims episode based on you guys…"

"Is it really that bad between the two of you?! You're like always together!"

"Being friends is one thing," Amaya explained. "But I'm already praying for the poor girl that ends up having to put up with him." Her gaze wandered over towards the unfazed Kairi, who was still giggling. "If that ever even happens."

"How could it not?! Have you looked at him?"

Amaya wasn't blind, and even if she were, all she'd have to do was run into one of her female peers to hear some comment about Riku's looks, or maybe some sort of inquiry for her to help set one of them up with him. At this point, it didn't really surprise her anymore; for one reason or another, he was considered strong, confident. And then, of course, there were the striking physical features he and his brothers had all inherited from their mother: the silver hair, the fair skin, the aquamarine eyes. Though they were Island natives, they were almost regarded as other-worldly.

"Relationships are a lot more than looks, Selphie," Amaya concluded.

"Mm, I guess," Selphie shrugged, seemingly not too convinced. Amaya attributed the lackluster reaction to the younger girl's naïveté rather than her being shallow. "Well, anyway, I'm sure you'll find someone someday."

"It's really nothing to pity me over."

"Maybe the love of Amaya's life is from another world," Kairi suggested. Amaya shot her a look.

"Ooh, like you, Kairi?" Selphie clapped. "Oh my gosh, you guys would be like star-crossed lovers or something!"

"That just sounds too complicated," Amaya sighed, trying to imagine how she'd even contact a boy who was a literal world away. "I don't need some kind of epic romance. I'd be happy with just a nice, dependable Island boy who I can get along really well with." And whether or not that happened wasn't ever really a concern of hers. There were so many other things that kept her occupied, like schoolwork, friends, family, the trip of a lifetime that she may or may not be making tomorrow…Romance was the last thing on her mind at this point.

"Anyway, I think that's enough about me," Amaya concluded, feeling they would just be beating a dead chocobo at this point. "What about you girls?"

"Ooh, well since we brought up the star-crossed lovers thing," Selphie now turned her attention towards Kairi, "what about you?"

"Hm?" Kairi blinked, tilting her head.

"Think about it! What if you were cast here to meet your soul mate?! Oh, it's almost like a fairytale romance come to life!"

"But who's the lucky prince?" Amaya giggled, happy that she was finally out of the hot seat.

"Well, it's not like your pickings are exactly slim," Selphie winked. It was true; if anyone's looks were talked about more than Riku's, it was Kairi. And there was no denying, the girl was beautiful. In fact, the more Amaya thought about it, the more parallels she drew between his and Kairi's many admirers, who almost worshipped her for her similar porcelain complexion, the unusual auburn hair, and exotic indigo eyes.

She suddenly found herself twirling a strand of her rather mundane dark hair, almost thankful for the unnecessary attention it didn't attract.

"There  _may_  be someone," Kairi slyly smirked, examining her fingernails.

"Excuse me?!" Amaya gasped. How had she not been made aware of this?

"What?!" Selphie gripped the side of her boat, propping herself against its edge. "Who?!"

"I said 'may be,'" Kairi nonchalantly clarified.

"Well, you can't just keep us in the dark about it! Ooh, you're always with Sora and Riku, too! Is it one of them?!"

Kairi did not lean over the boat and gag.

"Maaaaaybe," Kairi parroted. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You can't just bring it up and then leave us in the dark about it," Selphie whined.

"I'm not the one who brought it up."

"But –" Selphie was cut off by the sudden whir of the reel, and Amaya felt a strong tug on her rod.

"Looks like we've caught one!" she exclaimed, jerking the rod before winding up her reel. The other two girls watched on excitedly as she tangoed with the line, following its lead with every move she made.

"Here it is!" Kairi cried once the fish finally surfaced. She grabbed her net and paddled closer to Amaya, allowing her to unhook her catch into it.

"That's a trevally if I've ever seen one!" After Amaya finally got the fish settled into her bucket and readjusted her rod, the girls continued to chatter away. Though she was relieved that they'd moved past the subject of romance, she still couldn't help but wonder who Kairi'd been alluding to earlier. Was it really Sora or Riku, or was she just playing the whole thing up for the sake of being cryptic? She'd definitely have to ask her again later. After all, who knew what something like that would mean for their group's dynamic?

Every now and then, the line would grow taut once more, and they'd go through the motions again. On a few occasions, the effort was fruitless, but by the end of the session, she'd caught two more. It was deemed enough for their needs, and the girls headed back towards the docks.

"That was a lot more fun than I thought it would be!" Selphie exclaimed. "Amaya, you've gotta teach me some time."

"Come with us on a trip next time," she nodded, retrieving the bucket from her boat. The fish occasionally still flopped around, but they were much less active than they'd been when initially caught. Though she was used to it by now, the regression always made Amaya feel a little guilty.

"Let me know!" Selphie grinned. They began treading onto the familiar sandy coast. "So, what are you going to do with those now, anyway?"

"Uh…" How exactly would they explain this one?

"Oh, hey, isn't that Sora?" Kairi gestured towards the Secret Place, and it was indeed was him crawling out of the entrance. What perfect timing! "Sora!"

He didn't react.

"Did he not hear you?" Amaya inquired, confused by his lack of response. She couldn't help but notice his shifty gaze as he approached the short ledge, the usual ruddiness of his sun-tanned cheeks now totally pallid.

"Earth to Sora!" Kairi called as they approached him.

"Wh – Huh?" Sora finally responded. It was almost as if he were in a daze. "O-oh, hey, guys!"

"You okay?" Amaya asked, concerned. This wasn't like her brother at all. "Did something happen in there?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost!" Selphie added.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he reassured them, though his appearance suggested otherwise. Amaya shot him a quizzical look, and Sora glued his eyes to the ground once more. Before she could press him any further, a loud creaking noise rang out, catching the group's attention.

"Sora, Selphie!" Tidus called out. They all turned to see him and Wakka exiting the Seaside Shack. "There you guys are!"

"Ya ready?" Wakka's question was directed at Sora.

"For what?"

"' _You three against me!'"_  Tidus mimicked his words from earlier. "What, you chickening out?"

"We're doing this again?" Selphie asked, looking back and forth between her two best friends who seemed to be just raring to go.

"You've got this, Sora!" Kairi gave the boy an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and suddenly his pallor dissipated, and that cheesy grin reappeared on his face.

"' _Can't wait to make sandcastles out of you,'"_  Sora jibed, repeating Tidus' words from earlier.

"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched, Sora," Amaya warned, though she knew it was pointless. They all ran back into the Seaside Shack to obtain their sparring weapons, leaving her and Kairi behind.

"Welp, we should get a move on!" Kairi suggested, taking Amaya's hand to lead her to escape. "Let's get cooking!"

"I thought you didn't want my help!" Amaya groaned. Still, she followed, though as usual her mind wandered elsewhere. While she was happy Sora'd regained his usual upbeat disposition, she couldn't help but wonder…

What had really gotten him so spooked in the first place?

* * *

It was done.

It was finally done.

Amaya couldn't help but sigh with relief once she'd completed her final inspection. The raft itself was still in perfect condition, the food and drinks were stored away in their mini cooler, safety and first aid supplies were all accounted for in the duffle bag.

"How's it looking?" The sudden sound of Riku's voice made her jump.

"Don't scare me like that," she gasped, turning to see him approaching. He gave her an amused look. "Sora and Kairi aren't with you?"

"Nah, they're still by the shore," he explained. "Figured I'd do the responsible thing and look over everything one last time instead of gloating over my win against Wakka and the others."

"Is Sora still on about that?" Amaya snorted. Riku's bemused look told her everything she needed to know. While she was pleasantly surprised to learn that he'd won, above all, she was mostly just thankful her brother hadn't done anything to seriously injure himself over a pointless competition right before the big day. "Anyway, looks like everything's in shape. All you guys have to do is bring your spare clothes tomorrow and you should be good to go."

"'You guys'?" Riku cocked an eyebrow at her. "So you're really not coming?"

"You almost look disappointed," she chuckled, digging her toe into the sand.

"Not really," he shrugged, taking a seat on the base of the raft. "You always do this."

"Do what?"

"Get all stressed and throw a huge fit over things before the time comes to actually do them. How many times have I seen you cry over studying for exams?"

"That's different," she huffed. "I've told you my reservations about this a million times."

"And you always yammer on about how you've been overthinking any other thing that comes up – projects, events, and hell, even problem sets for homework sometimes. But it always ends up working out in the end, and you just end up wasting a bunch of energy over nothing. This is gonna be no different." He shifted in his seat. "Besides, for someone who's so obsessed with getting good grades being a giant know-it-all, I'd think this was the opportunity of a lifetime for you. Don't you want to see what we're missing out on out there?"

"Well, yeah, of course I'm interested," she nodded, finally sitting down next to him. "You said it yourself. There's tons of stuff out there that I'll never know or get to experience by staying here."

"But?"

"But…here's safe."

"And boring."

"Maybe so," Amaya agreed. She began thinking back to their conversation on the paopu tree from the previous evening. "So, you really haven't thought about what  _you'd_  do if you actually make it to another world?"

"Well, there's a lot of stuff I could do," he shrugged. "It all depends on what kind of place I end up in, though."

"I guess that makes sense," Amaya nodded. Who knew what situations or cultures or people they'd potentially encounter? She couldn't decide if the prospect was more exciting or nerve-wracking.

The two sat in silence for several moments in contemplation before she finally remembered the burning questions she'd had for him. What more perfect time to ask him, now that it was just the two of them?

"Say, Riku?"

"Hm?"

"That man and woman that we were talking about yesterday, that came back when we were kids…What do you think they were here for?"

"Can't say," he shrugged. "They disappeared out of our lives practically the moment they came in, after all."

She caught him.

"So you do remember the man," Amaya smirked. Riku's eyes widened at the realization that he'd been exposed. "I knew it."

"So what?" His tone was defiant, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from pressing him further.

"Why hide it yesterday?" He shrugged indifferently. "You were the only one that talked to him. What did he say to you?"

She recalled the scene perfectly, almost a decade later. It had been a lazy summer day, and her father at graciously taken her, Sora, and Riku out to the Play Island to blow off some steam. It was about time to go home, when she and Sora had noticed the tall, rather strangely dressed man standing at the edge of the shore.

"We shouldn't talk to strangers," the young Amaya warned Sora, taking him by the hand and leading him back towards the docks. Surprisingly, he didn't argue – it seemed even he was caught off-guard by the man's appearance.

It was moments later that they'd noticed that Riku hadn't joined them. When the two returned to the dock, they saw him standing right at the coastline, the man now kneeling in front of him. After another beckon and call of his name, he bade goodbye to the stranger, and finally rejoined them.

When asked what it was all about…

"It's a secret," the present-day Riku stated, mirroring the words he'd used as a child.

"Even to this day?" Amaya inquired. "Come on, it's been like ten years."

"I made a promise," he solemnly responded, his eyes now glued to his palm. It was the same odd gesture as yesterday. "I intend to keep it."

"…Is that what's got you so interested in the outside world?" He clenched his fist, before turning to look her straight in the eye.

"Like I said, it's a secret," he repeated with resolve.

"If you say so," she sighed. As much as she wanted to push further, she knew it was pointless now that he was putting up a front. And she couldn't entirely blame him, now reminded of her own secret she'd sworn to keep so many years ago.

"Anyway," she began again, now noticing the pink hues reflected on the ocean's surface, "it's getting late. We should head back."

"You go on ahead," Riku responded. "I'm gonna stay out here a little longer."

"What, is your dad coming home late again?" He nodded. "You know, you're always welcome for dinner at our place."

"Thanks," he replied with genuine appreciation. "It's fine though. I was gonna check over things here myself anyway."

"If you're sure, then." She stood up and dusted the sand off of her sarong. "Don't stay out too late, though. You're gonna need to rest up for your big day tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off. "I'm sure you'll be there when it's time to go, too."

"Don't get your hopes up," she scoffed. Hadn't he listened to anything she'd been saying? But, did that mean that this would really be the last time she'd see him? No… "Anyway, I'm sure I'll see you at some point. I don't think I could get rid of you no matter how hard I tried."

"Maybe I won't come back then," he teased. Though she knew he was saying it to pester her, the thought did irk her.

"Well, whatever you do, just make sure you stay safe."

"I'll be fine."

"And keep an eye on Sora and Kairi, too!"

"I got it, I got it." He finally got up to stand as well. Their height difference forced her to look up a few inches in order to meet his gaze; there wasn't even a flicker of doubt in his eyes, still brimming with that signature confidence. "Later, then."

"Yeah." A small smile appeared on her face. "Later. Definitely."

He turned his back to her to begin his own inspection of their supplies. She lingered for a moment, sorting through her thoughts to make sure she didn't have anything left to say to him. Nothing came to mind.

But there had to be something she could say!

No. She knew it the moment he'd given her that look. No matter what she said at this point, his mind was made up.

This was it.

* * *

Amaya had always liked to clean and organize her belongings. When she was feeling especially anxious, she  _really_  liked to clean and organize her belongings. And that was exactly what led her to discovering a possession she hadn't seen in years, stowed away in her jewelry box - her old shark tooth necklace. A warm wave of familiarity washed over her as she stroked the smooth, hard enamel of the pendant.

It was around the time those strange people arrived, but a little before then. She had been playing with Sora by the shore, when suddenly, he found some kind of small black pebble of the likes they'd never seen before.

"That's a shark tooth, there, that is," their father explained.

"Sh-shark?!" Amaya panicked, inching away from the water.

"Don't worry, princess," he bellowed. "The owner of this here tooth is probably long gone by now. Ya know, they say if ya wear one, it'll protect you from all the dangers in all the seas."

To Amaya, it sounded almost too good to be true.

"Whoa, really?!" Sora's sky blue eyes sparkled with wonder. "Cool!"

"If ya want, we can fasten a necklace out of it," Daddy suggested. "Then, ya can wear it and keep it with ya all the time!"

"Hmm…" Sora's eyes narrowed at the tooth as he fiddled around with it. "Sis, you can have it!"

"Huh?" she gasped. Sora presented it to her in his outstretched, tiny hands.

"I don't need it, 'cause I'm already gonna be the bravest, strongest sailor ever!" he boasted. "You think everything in the ocean is scary, so this will make you brave like me, too!"

"Does it really work?" Backhanded compliment aside, she looked to her father for confirmation. He affectionately ruffled both of their hair in response, and let out a hearty laugh once more.

"What do I always tell you kids?"

"You never know 'til you try!" Sora answered, pointing a finger.

"Exactly right, son," he affirmed, tousling his chestnut hair once more.

"So that means you have to come out with us and give it a try some time, Sis!"

"And what if it doesn't work?" she pouted, still twiddling the tooth between her fingers.

"Well, there is one thing that's more powerful than any of that old magic hulla-balloo," Daddy said, crouching down to the children's level.

"Really?" Sora asked excitedly. "You have to tell us what it is!"

"Well," he started, pulling the two of them closer towards him, "you two gotta always stick together, no matter what. One day, when you kids are older, there may come a time when you get into some big problems, and Mommy and I won't be able to help you. But if ya work as a team to protect each other, I know ya'll overcome any hurdles life throws your way." He then winked at his daughter. "You keep that shark tooth as a reminder of that. And who knows? Maybe its magical power'll be just the thing that makes all the difference."

A few days later, Daddy presented her with the necklace. Its chain was a simple, thin black rope, embellished with traditional colorful beads. In between their pattern rested the tooth, polished to shine like obsidian. She wore it around her neck with pride, always clutching it close to her chest whenever she felt afraid, and the words her father spoke to her that day always came flowing back.

Whether or not it truly did have a magic power to begin with, she couldn't say, but after her encounter with that young woman…

Well, there still wasn't any proof to confirm that, either.

She stopped wearing the necklace around the time she started middle school. It was simply a hassle, not being allowed with her uniform, so she ended up leaving it behind. Seeing it around her neck now, its pendant resting between her collar bones, stirred all kinds of emotions. She found herself once more fumbling with it, the scenes from the end of the day playing out in her head once more.

Saying good-bye to Riku was hard. Saying it to Kairi when they'd rowed back to the Main Island together earlier only made her heart sink further. But to have to say good-bye to Sora – she couldn't even find the words to describe what just thinking about that made her feel.

" _You two always gotta stick together, no matter what."_  Her father's previous words pierced her like a knife.

She shut the jewelry box before stumbling over to her bed to lay down. Her eyes were fixated on the ceiling, the inner conflicts stirring yet again.

Maybe she should go, and make sure that they were okay. There were always things that they overlooked, and maybe her perspective would help keep them just a little safer.

But how much safer could she keep them? They were going to be out in the open water, for days on end, after all! So much could go wrong that she might not be able to do anything to stop!

And then there was Mom, Dad, and Haru. They'd be so worried! But then again, if she stayed behind, she'd have to watch them worry over her brother. Oh, what to do?! There was no winning here!

There were still a few hours until the morning. Maybe there was a chance. Riku was a lost cause at this point, especially with the encouragement he was getting from Sora and Kairi. She knew stopping him would be futile. But maybe, just maybe, she could convince Sora –

It was the loud howling noise from her window that distracted her. She sat up on her bed to peel back the curtain slightly and take a peek. The sight took her breath away.

The sky was pitch black, a flash of lightning in the distance the only thing illuminating it. Palm trees swayed back and forth violently in the blustery wind. Street lamps flickered on and off. The roads were empty, not a soul in sight. Rain hadn't quite started falling yet, but Amaya recognized this sudden change in climate.

But how? The weather report had predicted clear skies for the next week, she'd made sure to check!

Maybe this was a good thing. They wouldn't be able to leave tomorrow if this held up, right? Even someone as stubborn as Riku wouldn't –

Riku.

Riku.

Her heart started racing at the thought of him. He'd stayed behind on the island when they'd all left for the day! Had he gotten home safely? Should she have been more assertive about making him leave with them? She'd done all the checks on the raft already, anyway!

She needed to calm down. Breathe. Breathe.

Sora. He might know. He was even better friends with him than she was, right? Right. She'd ask Sora.

She hopped off her bed and quickly slid her sandals back on before shuffling through the bathroom. The door to Sora's bedroom was slightly ajar, though the bedroom light wasn't on. Gingerly, she reached for the knob and pulled it open to see clothes and other paraphernalia strewn all across the floor boards. Though normal for her brother, just the sight of the state of the room was enough to irk her. But that wasn't what caused the color to drain from her face.

"Sora, what do you think you're doing?!" she cried. His window was open, and the curtains were flailing fiercely in the air. Sora was squatted over the windowsill, his hands gripping what looked like a thick piece of rope that was now hanging out into the open.

He was planning on leaving. Right this very moment.

"Shh, keep it down!" he whispered belligerently.

"You cannot go out right now! It's way too dangerous!"

"I have to go and check on the raft! Everything's gonna get ruined!"

"So what? Forget about that! Your life is way more important!"

"I said to keep it down!"

She had to do something, anything to stop him!

"I-I'm telling Mom!" she warned him. Yes, their parents! Sure, Sora might end up getting angry with her for getting them involved, but this was for his own good.

"Whatever!" he retorted. And before she could make a move, he began his descent.

"Sora!" What should she do? Even if she went to her mother now, there was no guarantee they'd be able to stop him before he got to the docks, and by then it would be too late. But how else could she stop him?

" _You two gotta always stick together, no matter what."_

She gulped. By herself. She would have to go after him by herself.

Her feet pattered swiftly against the floor as she made a beeline for the window. After climbing over the bed, she grasped for the rope. Her hair flew in her face, only further obscuring her vision as she tried to navigate her way out. Sight was useless. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, doing the best to ignore the fierce zephyrs as she scaled her way down the house.

It was an eternity before her feet finally touched the ground. She finally opened her eyes, but her vision was still obstructed by the pitch black darkness.

Darkness…

No, now was not the time to let it get to her! Sora. Sora. Where was Sora?!

She hastily reached into her satchel, the other hand guarding her face to prevent sand and dust from getting into her eyes. After some fumbling, she finally found it – her emergency flashlight. She flicked it on. Now that her path was somewhat better illuminated, it was time to find her brother, who was already out of her sight. She needed to hurry.

The walk to the docks was one of the most arduous tasks she'd ever had to complete. She battled through the relentless winds that seemed to threaten to carry her away with every powerful gust. There were the frequent flashes of lightning in the sky accompanied by the low rumble of thunder in the distance. Every fiber of her being was just begging her to turn back and return for safety. There was only one thing that kept her from listening to her instincts – if anything happened to Sora, she wouldn't be able to live with herself.

"Sora," she muttered under her breath, taking another step forward. She was getting close now. So close. She just needed to focus on her goal. "Sora."

"Sora."

"Sora."

"Sora." Her hand was trembling, flashlight flickering.

"Where are you, Sora?"

"Sora."

"Sora." Her face was wet. Had it started raining? No, it was coming from her eyes.

"What were you thinking, Sora?!"

"S-Sora."

"Sora."

"Sora." The texture of the ground changed beneath her feet. Sand. She walking on sand now. She put an arm in her face to shield herself from it.

"Sora."

"Sora."

"Sora." It was getting harder to hear herself over the howls of the wind, the crashing of the waves.

"Sora."

"Sora." Wooden floorboards came into sight in the flashlight's beam. The dock. She was finally at the dock.

"Sora!" she cried out at the top of her lungs.

No response.

"S-Sora?!"

No response.

No. No no no no no no. Was he already gone?! No no no no no no no no no no no no no –

"Sis! I'm over here!"

"Sora?!" She wasn't just imagining it, was she?! She flailed the flashlight in every direction, looking for  _some_  sign of proof. Where was he? Where was he?

There he was.

"Sora!" He was really there! Sitting…in their rowing…boat…untying it… "You cannot go out there!" She dashed towards him as quickly as she could, cursing at the force of the gales that kept threatening to send her back. By the time she finally reached him, the boat was untied.

"If you're coming, get in quick!" he commanded, talking loudly over the clamor surrounding them. The boat rocked back and forth over the seesaw of waves. Would it even be possible to row it?

"There is no way!" she called back. "Get back here, Sora! It's way too dangerous!"

"Have it your way!" He grabbed the oars, readying himself for the journey across to the Play Island. Just as the paddles were about to strike the water, the boat shook with the force of something dropping into it.

"I'm tying it back up!" Amaya said adamantly, grabbing the rope. Before she could even bring it up to tether back, the boat began to drift away. No. It wasn't just drifting. "Come on, Sora, please!" she begged. "We can't!"

"We are!" Sora shot back, grunting as he put all his effort into propelling the boat forward. "We've worked way too hard for this!"

"And we can do it again at another time! When it's safer! We can build another raft, we can get new supplies! Please, Sora!" She lunged forward in an attempt to wrestle at least one of the oars away from him, but she came up empty.

"You're gonna tilt the boat over if you keep that up, Sis!" Sora shouted, brow furrowed as water began to splash into the boat. "Just sit back and calm down! We'll get home safe, I promise!"

"Don't make a promise that you can't keep!" she cried, sinking back into her seat. Shivers ran up and down her entire body, and the open sea almost seemed to close in on them. Inadvertently, she grasped the pendant hanging around her neck. Now, more than ever, did she wish it had whatever magical powers that had been guaranteed to her.

Breathe. Breathe. She just had to breathe. Breathe.

"We're almost there!" Sora assured her. Hugging her knees into her chest, she gripped the necklace even harder. The only thought she had on her mind was to continue to breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

They'd finally gotten to a point where the boat stopped moving forward, though it continued to bop up and down beneath them. But why had it stopped? She hadn't even realized that her eyes were clenched shut. She cracked one open to take a gander at her surroundings.

Somehow, some way, they'd made it to the dock of the Play Island.

"Come on!" Sora lent her a hand after practically lassoing the rope to one of the posts. She gripped it tightly, allowing him to lead her out as she continued to focus on her breathing. Her legs felt like jelly the moment they hit the solid floor, the wind still gusting around them.

"Riku's boat!" she suddenly heard Sora say. She turned to see not one, but two more boats parked besides theirs. "A-and Kairi's!"

"They're here, too?!"

"We've gotta find them!" Sora gasped, his hold on her hand tightening even further. He took a step forward.

That was when it happened.

It still wasn't raining, so why were there puddles on the ground? No, this wasn't water.

This was darkness. Pools of darkness.

"Wh-What's happening?!" Amaya shrieked as the pools began to grow even darker. And then, something began emerging from one of them. It was a wobbly creature of the likes she'd never seen before, yellow eyes glowering menacingly at her. And then there were two more, then four, then ten, and before she knew it, she'd lost count.

Oh, not now. She had to snap out of it. This was the worst time! No. She needed to be alert. For Sora, Riku, and Kairi's sakes!

"What are these things?" Sora gulped.

"W-wait," Amaya started, eyes widening at the realization, "you see them, too?"

This was…real?

"Yeah, don't you see how many there are?!" He let go of her hand and unhooked the wooden sword from his belt as got into a parrying stance. Taking a step forward, he swatted at one of the mysterious creatures.

Nothing happened.

He swatted again.

Nothing happened.

He swatted again.

And again, nothing happened.

"Sis, we gotta make a run for it!"

"W-Wait for me!" she called after him as he began to sprint ahead. All she could do now was follow. The boards creaked beneath her feet as she dashed as fast as she could past the gang of dark creatures. Her mind was swirling; the only thing stringing her along now was the adrenaline that now coursed through her veins.

It was when her feet finally hit the sand that she tripped. More dark pools formed around her, and one by one, the creatures crept closer and closer towards her.

Was this…really the way it was going to end? She shut her eyes tight, feeling she was probably better off not witnessing her own final moments.

But her final moments hadn't yet come.

"Sis, get up!" Her eyes shot open to stare at a pair of yellow sneakers in front of her. There was a hand outstretched towards her, and person's other hand was occupied with the wooden sword. The creatures still surrounded them, but they weren't anywhere near as close to her as they were just before. "Come on, we've gotta move!" She hastily took her younger brother's hand, and together, they made a run for the Seaside Shack.

She slammed the door shut behind her, before the two of them immediately collapsed to the ground in a heap, breathing heavily, backs to the wall. Luckily enough, none of those creatures had spawned within yet. Amaya looked at her hand, and though it was pitch black in there, she could make out their outline. They shook more violently than ever before.

"You've gotta get a grip, Sis," Sora advised, once again taking her hand in his. "I know you're really scared, but we've gotta focus."

"B-But…" How could she? Her worst nightmare – one she'd been kicking herself over for days now – had come to life!

"We need to focus on finding Riku and Kairi. Once we find them, we'll go home."

"Didn't you just see what's going on outside?!" Amaya asked exasperatedly. "How can you be sure we're gonna make it out of here?"

"Well, if we don't do anything, those things might really get us." The words hit her like a truck.

It really was do or die.

"Come on," he bade her as he stood up, "let's check the islet." Wordlessly, she rose up, hand still tightly clasped around his as she let him lead her up the stairs.

Breathe. Breathe.

The door finally creaked open, and they were greeted by another forceful gust of wind and a few palm tree leaves that were hurled in their direction.

They inched their way toward the bridge, before more pools of darkness began sprouting around them. Sora reached for his wooden sword once more. Even if he couldn't deal damage to the enemy, at least he could get them out of their way.

Amaya remained behind Sora, helplessly watching as he handled the situation. She took another gander at her surroundings, and only then did she see him.

"Sora, it's Riku!"

"Wha – "

"Up ahead, on the islet!" she pointed. She watched for Sora's reaction to their silver-haired friend, making sure she wasn't seeing things. A sigh of relief almost escaped her lips when he practically jumped at the realization, before striking at a few of the creatures ahead of them to clear the path.

That was one friend down. But where was the other?

"Let's go!" The two began to run again, hand in hand, until they finally reached him. His back was turned towards them.

"Where's Kairi?!" was the first thing Sora said the moment the older boy was within earshot. "I thought she was with you!"

"The door has opened…" Riku simply responded, his back still towards him.

"D-door?!" Amaya questioned. "What are you talking about?!"

"The door has opened!" he repeated, this time more forcefully as he finally turned to look at the pair. "Now we can go to the outside world!"

"What are you talking about?!" Sora retorted, repeating his sister's words and clearly just as befuddled by Riku's cryptic words as she was. "We've gotta find Kairi!"

"Kairi's coming with us!" Riku assured, before his gaze shot up to the sky. Amaya, unsure of what to make of the situation, followed his line of site.

She didn't think it was possible for her to be anymore horrified that night, but the surprises kept coming. Above them was a large, swirling nucleus of darkness – the obvious source of all the havoc.

And Riku remained calm. Too calm.

"Riku, what did you do?!" she cried.

"Once we step through, we might not be able to come back," he explained coolly. "We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us!" He finally shifted his gaze back towards Sora and Amaya, and not even a flicker of doubt glimmered in his aquamarine eyes. "I'm not afraid of the darkness!" He held out a hand towards them.

What was going on?!

"Riku…" Sora took a step back, sharing his sister's reservations as to what was transpiring. And before they knew it, another pool of darkness began to form – but this one was below Riku's feet.

Dark vines shot up from the pool, slowly snaking their way up his body. He didn't even flinch.

In fact, he was smiling.

Before she knew it, Sora began to run ahead towards him. "No, wait!" she called after him. Though she knew what he was trying to do…

…Riku was beyond help now.

In the blink of an eye, the pool began to extend itself, right beneath Sora. More vines began to grow, and now, they were trying to consume her brother.

" _You two always gotta stick together, no matter what."_

"No, Sora!" she shrieked. There had to be something, anything she could do! Her body seemed to have come up with an idea as it practically acted on its own.

She ran after him.

And it was futile. The vines began to encapsulate her body, too. But Sora was still in sight, and she wasn't going to give up. Just a little further. Just a little further…

The moment she finally touched him, everything disappeared.

The darkness had overtaken them.

Until a sudden bright light flashed, and everything returned. The wind continued to howl, and the waves continued to crash, but the vines and the strange, ominous nucleus were gone. And so was Riku.

"What the…?" she heard Sora say. She still gripped his arm, but it seemed it was whatever was in his other hand that preoccupied him. "What is this?" She took a couple of steps forward to get a closer look, and her jaw dropped at the site of it.

It was a sword. Or was it? Its shape was certainly strange – Sora gripped its ornate, golden handle firmly. What metal the blade was made out of, she couldn't tell, but the sharp edge was one like she'd never seen before.

"Where did that come from?!" Amaya asked. "And why's it shaped like a key?"

"You think I know what's going on any more than you do?" he responded, clearly just as lost as his older sister. Now was not the time for questions, however, as the creatures from before began to approach once more. Sora took another quizzical look at the blade in his hand, before taking a swing at the enemy.

They disintegrated.

"It works against them?" Amaya was in a daze as she watched her brother assault the rest of the creatures in their proximity.

"I don't know what's going on, Sis," Sora admitted, their coast now clear, "but we've gotta find Riku and Kairi!"

There was a pit in her stomach at the thought of Riku. There one second, vanished the next. But how? And why was he so calm about everything?

Would they really find him?

And Kairi…

"Whoa, look at the Secret Place!" Sora pointed towards where the opening next to the waterfall should have been. It was hard to make out the details in the darkness, but Amaya could see in its place was a tall, silvery door. "Is that…what that guy was talking about?"

"Guy?" Amaya questioned. "What guy?!"

"Earlier in the day, right before you guys ran into me when I was coming out of there, there was this strange person. I didn't see his face, but he started saying a bunch of weird stuff."

"That's why you looked so out of it?"

Sora nodded. "He said that this world…has been connected."

"Wh-What?" But now wasn't the time to press for more details.

"Come on!" He yanked her by the hand once more.

"Sora, we don't know what that is! It could be dangerous!"

"Riku and Kairi might be there!" Instead of going towards the door of the Seaside Shack, he opted to lead her across its roof. "Besides, I've got this sword here now!"

"A sword that randomly appeared that you don't know anything about!" she shot back, letting out a yelp before he led her to leap off the roof. It was a short jump, and the two of them found themselves next to the waterfall. The Secret Place was only yards away. Sora continued to bat his sword at the enemies as they spawned, and Amaya kept close. As badly as she wanted to leave, she knew her chances of survival would greatly dim if she strayed too far.

They finally approached the strange, ornately carved metallic door. Sora reached for its handles without hesitation, yanking it open before heedlessly heading inside.

It was dark. So dark. But she had no choice but to follow.

She followed the sound of Sora's footsteps, wanting to jump every time one of her limbs grazed the narrow, stony walls. It wasn't long before they widened, and they'd finally reached some semblance of a clearing. She realized that some light seeped through the large opening in the ceiling, the sound of the storm only amplified within the confines of the space. But this wasn't the time to examine the physics and mechanics of this strange place.

Kairi was here.

"Kairi!" Sora called to her. Her back, like Riku's had been, was turned towards the pair. She stood in front of what looked like another door – presumably, that door that no one had ever been able to open.

"Sora…" Kairi was slow to respond, and even slower to turn around to face them. Unlike Riku, however, there wasn't a shred of confidence to be found. In fact, the girl was expressionless, the usual sparkle in her indigo eyes now dulled and hollowed.

"Kairi, what's wrong?" Amaya asked, though it was Sora who stepped forward first. Kairi outstretched a hand to reach him, but the moment she did, the door behind her opened.

It was all a flash. A dark aura emanated from its opening, and a turbulent gust hurled the girl towards them. Sora opened his arms to catch her, but before they knew it, all three of them were carried out like ragdolls, and their surroundings disappeared once more.

Opening her eyes a third time was surreal to Amaya. She groped the ground with her hands, and sand coursed between her fingers as she sat herself up, hair still whipping into her face from the strong gusts of wind. A grunt sounded from next to her, and she saw Sora, still by her side, sitting up on his knees.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, but Kairi…" Sora's expression was solemn as he touched a hand to his chest, the last place he'd felt her. But now, she had disappeared.

As had the rest of the island.

"Everything's…" Gone. Besides the small chunk of land and sand they were on, it was all gone. "Mom, Dad, Haru, Riku, and Kairi…"

It was useless to even try to call out for someone.

There would be no response.

No one would hear them.

No one else was there.

They were surrounded by nothing by the black, hazy void that swallowed their home.

"This is…" Sora couldn't even finish the thought. What was there to think about, anyway? Wasn't this the end?

A portal suddenly appeared in front of them, and out of it materialized the very being of Amaya's nightmares. It was a carbon copy: the height, the hollowed out heart, the beady yellow eyes, the tentacle-like projections that jutted out of its face – but this wasn't a dream.

Her nightmare had really come to life.

"Sis, take cover!" Sora commanded. Amaya hadn't even realized that the strange sword had disappeared until it re-materialized in his hand.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of taking that thing on!"

"What else are we supposed to do?!" He got into his battle stance, eyebrows narrowed as he sized up his enemy. The monster raised its fist high up in the air.

It was going to strike.

"Sora!" she cried out, but before she could make a move, what was left of the ground beneath them began to shake violently. The impact of the monster's punch created a shockwave that flung her back, knocking the wind out of her. Coughing, she slowly sat herself up, realizing the only thing that stopped her from falling over the edge was the remnant of some wooden structure that still existed on the platform.

She'd survived, again. But Sora…

He was still there, too. The monster's giant hand was in the ground, surrounded by another huge pool of darkness. Sora took advantage of the opening and parried at it relentlessly with his bizarre sword. As he did so, more of the small-fry began to spawn, and occasionally he would have to resort to focusing his attacks on them to protect himself.

The monster finally extracted its fist from the ground, and it stood back up. They must have looked like ants to it. Its yellow eyes glowered at them as it kneeled to the ground once more, arms by its side as it puffed out its now-glowing chest.

Suddenly, something shot out of it. A beam? Whatever it was, it was headed straight for –

"Sora, look out!" she warned him. He turned just in the nick of time to block it, though the monster did not relent, continuing to shoot the strange substance from its chest. Sora continued to guard himself, but even Amaya could tell that he was struggling with his footing.

"Alright, that's it," he finally snarled. Maybe the hand hadn't been the right way to go about it earlier. But it had to have a weak point somewhere right?

It was time to take a literal leap of faith.

Amaya watched helplessly in horror as Sora jumped up on the monster's calf, which he used to leverage himself onto its forearm. Another beam headed straight his way, but he dodged it in the nick of time as he began to scale up its shoulder until he finally reached his target: its face.

All it took was a slash. A dark aura began emanating from the massive monster, and it showed no emotion as its limbs finally beginning to dissipate into smoke.

Just what was that thing, and where had it even come from in the first place?

Who knew whether or not they'd ever get an answer? The most important thing was, that thing was done for. Sora smirked triumphantly, his grip on his mysterious weapon tightening.

He quickly realize that this was no time for celebration. Yes, he'd won, and yes, the monster's body was crumbling into dust…but so was his foothold.

Before he could make another move, his sword suddenly disintegrated, and he found himself freefalling.

"Ahh!" he yelled, unable to maneuver himself mid-air. His velocity seemed to increase every inch closer to the ground, and he finally decided to shut his eyes tight, bracing himself for whatever the impact might entail.

He finally hit…something. It all happened so fast, but suddenly, he was sprawled on his back. The material below him certainly wasn't sand, but whatever it was, it had broken his fall, and it was groaning.

Wait, groaning?

It wasn't a material! It was a person!

"Sis!" Sora shot up onto his knees, scooting over to allow Amaya to breathe. She flinched, slow to sit up. "Are you okay?!"

"Th-Thank goodness…I caught you," she coughed, grasping at his shoulder for support. He let out a sigh of relief.

"We have to get out of here."

"It's a nice sentiment," Amaya agreed. "But where exactly are we going to go?" A single tear streaked down her cheek. "Everything's gone."

Sora clenched his teeth, eyes darting back and forth as he looked for some way, any way, to get them out of there. The circumference of the remaining piece of land they sat on seemed to shrink every second. The trees, the ocean, their boats, the Main Island…

All of it had disappeared.

The wind began to pick up speed, and sticks, pebbles, and sand began to thrash about even harder. To top it all off, something from above cast an even darker shadow upon them. Slowly, Amaya looked up.

In the center of the pitch black sky was a large, angry red nucleus. Its size expanded by the minute, and the siblings could only watch in horror as their surroundings continued to be hurled right into its center. Branches, remnants of structures – it sucked them all up like a vacuum.

And they were next.

She grasped her brother's hand as tightly as she could when that final gust hit them and flung them in the air like a hacky sack. He gripped back fiercely as they flew higher and higher towards the eye in the sky.

" _You two always gotta stick together, no matter what."_

No matter what.

Mom, Dad, Haru, Kairi, and Riku…They were all gone.

All they had was each other.

They clung to one another for dear life. Amaya could feel Sora's nails digging into the back of her hand as they continued to ascend, but she ignored the pain – in fact, she could barely feel it at all. Her body was completely numb to physical sensation. Right now, everything depended on staying with him.

But of course, like the rest of the night, things did not go according to plan. One more powerful zephyr was all it took to finally drive them apart.

"Sis!" Sora desperately cried out, attempting to reach her once more.

"Sora!" Amaya shrieked, trying with all her strength to grasp back, but to no avail.

The final thing Amaya felt was a warmth in her chest, her last sight a glimmer of light that radiated from it.

And then, one last time, everything disappeared.

It was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that happened.
> 
> I did think about splitting this chapter into two with an additional scene, but I thought that would leave both chapters end up feeling shorter and less satisfying, so I hope you guys think it ended up turning out okay! Honestly, the first half of the chapter took me forever to bang out, but that last scene (which ended up being about 6000 words @_@ ) took me like 6 hours.
> 
> Fucking shit up is fun, I guess.
> 
> Anyway, instead of me breaking down all my choices, I'd love to hear what you guys think in the comments! What does the future hold for our heroine here~?
> 
> Thank you to anyone who's left kudos or subscribed so far! Your support means everything


	6. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where has Amaya ended up now that the Islands have been destroyed? And where are her loved ones?

**Part 1**

" _I've been having these weird thoughts lately…Like, is any of this for real? Or not?"_  – Sora

* * *

A pair of webbed feet pattered against the cobblestone ground, their owner taking a gander at his surroundings, sizing up the new world. Though some may have considered a large walking, talking duck a strange sight, no one batted an eye here. The harlot waiting by the restaurant, the boy placing a letter into the hard-to-miss mailbox, and the moogle wandering near the accessory shop up the stony stairwell – everyone seemed to have their own agenda.

As did they.

"Uh, Donald?" his canine comrade caught his attention. He let out a squawk as he turned to look at him, wondering what the hubbub was about. The Captain of the Royal Knights pointed up to the night sky, and Donald's gaze followed. "Look, a star's goin' out!" His eyes widened as he watched the celestial body blow up like a balloon before popping, an empty void now left in its wake.

"Come on, Goofy," Donald urged. "Let's go." The pair, joined by their King's loyal hound, Pluto, began to make their way towards the stairwell in the center of the plaza with a renewed sense of urgency. "Where's that key…?"

"Hey, ya know, maybe we ought to go find Leon," Goofy suggested, referring to the mysterious man the King had spoken of in the letter he had left for them. Donald ignored him and carried on, likely only having thoughts of their main mission on his mind. Goofy figured it was best to just go along with the stubborn duck. That was, of course, until he noticed that it seemed Pluto had other ideas. Nose glued to the ground, he was tracking  _something_ towards an alleyway. "Uh, Donald? Ya know, I betcha that…"

"Aw, what do you know, you big palooka?" Donald retorted, refusing to stop in his tracks.

"What do I know?" It seemed there was no arguing with the Court Mage at this point. "Hmm…Come on, Pluto!" he called to the hound before turning to catch up to his avian ally.

Pluto paid him no heed, his nose leading him right around the corner of the alleyway…

* * *

_"Woof woof!"_

Amaya's eyes creaked open. She blinked once, twice, three times to clear her vision, only to see a strange dog of the likes she'd never seen before come into focus. Its features were easy to make out in the bright sunlight; a rather small creature with black fur and tufts of white on its face and chest, and deep brown eyes that stared back at her. After all that had transpired in that nightmare, to see this image…

"What a weird dream," Amaya mumbled, before closing her eyes once more, with certainty that she would be teleported straight back to the safety of her warm, comfortable bed.

 _"Woof woof!"_  It was when the dog licked at her leg that she realized that wouldn't be happening.

"This isn't a dream?!" she exclaimed, eyes now widen open to finally take in her surroundings.

The atmosphere was the first thing that stood out to her; gone was the salty scent of the ocean and the stickiness of the humidity – here, the air was cool and dry. Her hands grazed not upon sun-bleached asphalt, but against strange, faded red stones resembling those that made up the houses in the fairytales she'd read to Haru…these were bricks, weren't they? It seemed the building she was sitting up against was made up of them as well. Slowly, she worked her line of sight up to the sky above. This view rang familiar: sparse, wispy clouds decorating the bright blue canvas, the sun's radiance smiling down on her.

But was this the same sky that watched over the Islands?

The events flashed through her head once more: Sora climbing out the window despite her pleas for him to remain in the house, the treacherous trek over to the Play Island, the pools of darkness and the frightening creatures that spawned from them, Riku's too-calm demeanor under the cataclysmic sky, the vines that entrapped his body and took him away, the strange key-shaped sword that then appeared in Sora's hand, the ornate metal door that lead to the Secret Place, the hollowed expression in Kairi's eyes, the appearance of that monster from her nightmares, and finally, the desperate hold she'd had on Sora's hand…

And just like that, everything vanished, and here she was. But where was here? And what had happened to everyone else? Were they here, too? Why had it all vanished in the first place?

It was the loud panting that caught her attention next, its source not hard to pinpoint.

"N-Nice doggy," Amaya spoke warily, slowly pulling her knees into her chest. Its deep brown eyes curiously peered up at her, seemingly just as confused by her presence as she was. There was no collar around its neck – a stray? If that were the case, its snout getting closer and closer to brushing up against her leg was likely even more of a concern.

"Sit!" The command came more as a knee-jerk reaction to the invasion of her personal space, with no expectation that this seemingly aimless creature actually had the wits or training to listen. So, it was even more of a surprise when the dog immediately obeyed her order, lowering its hind legs onto the ground, wagging its tail back and forth.

" _That means he's in a good mood,_ " Amaya recalled her mother telling her one time. She and Riku's mother had decided to take the children to the park one afternoon, when a stranger walked by with their dog on the leash. It immediately took an interest in the children, and while Sora and Riku returned that attention with affectionate pats on its golden fur, Amaya hid behind her mother, wary of what this strange animal might do on a whim.

" _See? He's a friendly dog,_ " Mommy reassured, watching the dog lick Sora's face. He and Riku sure did look like they were having fun. " _Do you want to be friends with it, too?_ "

And here, so many years later in an area she did not quite recognize, her mother's instructions came back to her. Meekly, Amaya reached a hand out towards this dog. It didn't bark, nor did it bite; it simply pressed a nose against her knuckles.

Her knuckles…

It was then when she finally noticed the red scratches engraved into the back of her hand. She remembered the moment they must have occurred clearly: the very last second, when that final, powerful gust of wind tore apart the grasp that she and her brother had on each other. They called, screamed for each other, before disappearing into that hungry hole in what used to be the sky.

So that really had happened, hadn't it? But…they hadn't been too far from each other! He had to be somewhere close by, right?

"Good boy," Amaya croaked out, turning her attention back to the dog. As one hand worked to pet the rather docile creature, the other went to her throat as she realized how dry it was. Water was something she'd need to find soon. And people. They could at least point her in the right direction, right? And considering how well behaved this dog was… "Do you have an owner, buddy?"

As if responding to her query, the dog stood back up, and briefly Amaya backed herself up once more, unsure of what it was going to do. She watched as it turned and trotted down the narrow pathway to the end of the alleyway, where an open street lay ahead. There, it stopped and once more turned back in her direction, as if beckoning her to follow.

Well, there was nowhere else to go. Slowly, Amaya worked herself off the ground and onto her feet.

Then came the pain.

"Gah!" she gasped, finally noticing the aches wracking her body. The worst of it radiated from her back and chest, and once again, the flashback reel played. Her body, hurled back into a structure from the force of that giant monster's punch. Sora, somehow taking on the beast himself with that strange weapon that appeared in his hand. And then, watching him fall from that great height when the monster disappeared, and her only instinct then had been to run and try to catch him…

" _Woof! Woof! Woof!"_  the dog barked once more, and Amaya began to inch her way towards it. Though the throbbing sensations that riddled her body now were all the more affirmation that had transpired was real, now wasn't the time to dwell over it. No answers would come to her if she just stayed here, after all.

Reaching the street did confirm one thing: Amaya was definitely not on the Islands anymore.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sights. Gone were the palm trees, the sandy roads, and the hustle and bustle of busy people. Here, more of the same fire-engine red bricks lined where the sidewalk should have been, the main street made up of hexagonal stones. Buildings of the likes she'd never seen before lay on the road's borders; some were tall, some were short, some made of wood, and others of stone. It seemed they housed restaurants, shops, and a variety of other kinds of businesses, but there was one thing they all had in common: she couldn't see through any of the windows, whether the curtains were drawn or the glass was tinted.

Even more eerily, there wasn't a single soul in sight in the broad daylight. Did anyone…even live here?

"H-Hello?" Amaya gingerly hailed no one in particular. There was no response. But there had to be someone around here, shouldn't there? After all, this dog couldn't possibly be looking after itself. Chills ran down her spine as she continued to follow it down the block, quiet buildings and empty alleyways her only greeters. Not even the whirring hum of the cicadas could be heard here. "Is anyone there?" Again, there was no response. "…Sora? Riku? Kairi?" Perhaps they'd landed in this strange land with her, just as lost as she was.

This time, something happened.

" _Woof! Woof!"_ Amaya jumped at the sound of the dog's bark. It had stopped walking.

"Wh-What's wrong, boy?" she asked, clutching her sides as the sudden movement only served to remind her of the pain she was in. The dog's hind was turned towards her while it continued to bark at the street, its calls getting progressively louder and more aggressive. It was when she lurched forward did she see it.

A pool of darkness forming on the ground.

"N-No…" She helplessly watched as a being emerged in front of them. Here in the sunshine she could make out its features clearly – a large, rather roly-poly creature with red and blue armor and a helmet over its head. Its chest was embellished with a black symbol that resembled a heart, with red thorny vines that formed a cross through it. And its eyes…

The same glowing beady yellow eyes that belonged to the creatures that had ravaged her home.

Every fiber of her being told her to run. Her heart was beating a million times a minute as the adrenaline coursed through her veins, and yet, all she could do was take a step back before her body froze in place, unresponsive to the desperate pleas of her mind to escape. Paralyzed, the only thing that stood between her and that thing was the growling dog.

Was this really how it was going to end?

The creature bumped its belly with its fist before throwing its arms by its sides, readying itself to attack. And they were a point-blank target.

So, this was really it…

"Get down!" a voice suddenly called.

Amaya's legs turned to jelly, the sound of a deafening blast ringing out as her body hit the ground.

* * *

The ground was cold, hard, and a little damp. Misty air caressed his skin, while loud  _whooshing_  noises surrounded him. The sound of waterfalls – one not unfamiliar to him.

Had he failed?

Slowly, he creaked his aquamarine eyes open. The first thing in his sight was the stony, gray platform that cradled him where he lay. Grunting, he worked his way onto his feet, finally able to get a good look at his surroundings.

"Where…am I?" The sight was unlike one he'd ever beheld. Before him were more rocky platforms that seemed to be floating in the air. No, it wasn't that they just seemed that way – they really were floating! But how?

And then there was the water. It was everywhere, as the waterfalls that completely surrounded the area continued to deposit their load into the reserve below him.

No, wait. The water wasn't falling. It was flowing upwards, defying gravity –  _rising_.

Just what was this place? It certainly wasn't the Islands.

This had to be another world. Definitely.

He'd done it.

A triumphant smirk played up on his lips, as he thought about the wonder in Sora and Kairi's eyes if they were to behold this sight, and the glory of being able to gloat to a dumbfounded Amaya. His plan had worked, and they'd made it.

But…where were they?

"Sora!" Riku called with his ears perked, desperate to hear some sort of reply over the loud roar of the flowing water. "Amaya! Kairi!"

But there was no response.

He was all alone.

* * *

"Hey!" the voice called out to her once more. "Are you okay?!"

"Wha…?" Slowly, Amaya extracted her head out from under her arms. The pain in her torso rang worse now, likely from the impact from her sudden fall. Dazed, she draped a hand across her ribcage as she propped herself up onto her elbow, attempting to make sense of what had just transpired. She craned her neck to look to her left, where that creature had been. 'Had' being the key word – it was gone.

"You know, I had it under control." This voice was different; huskier, more feminine. And it belonged to the girl standing in the place of where that monster had been.

"Who – wha…?" Amaya found herself unable to form a coherent thought. Just what was going on?! Who was this person, and where did she come from?! And what exactly was she staring at?

The stranger appeared to pay Amaya no heed. Her gaze was focused straight ahead, as she ran a hand exasperatedly through her tousled pink tresses. What a strange hairstyle, indeed. Her garb was interesting to behold as well – tall brown boots with an abundance of buckles, and a white vest with its collar popped thrown over brown shorts, held together with multiple belts. One of her shoulders was fashioned with a metal piece, her hands with fingerless gloves that were studded at the knuckles. A long, metallic object hung from her waist…a sword?

This girl couldn't be more than her age! Why was she carrying a weapon like that?!

"Light!" the other voice – the first one she'd heard – responded. Amaya turned her head in the other direction to see another person, a boy clad in black with messy blond hair, trotting over towards them. He was slinging an object Amaya couldn't quite discern over his shoulder. "I didn't even see you there!"

"Hmph," the girl, who Amaya surmised was the 'Light' the boy was referring to, retorted, arms crossed and cerulean eyes squinted as the boy caught up to them. She finally worked to sit herself up on her knees, and upon closer inspection, she realized the object he was carrying was a gun. Was that the source of the loud blast?

Had he been the one to get rid of that creature?

 _"Woof! Woof!"_  The dog was still present, too, and apparently unharmed as it reappeared in front of Amaya.

"Angelo?" Light sounded confused, observing the animal. "What is she doing out here?" So it was female…

"No clue," the boy shook his head, letting out a small laugh as Angelo playfully jumped towards him, "but if I hadn't heard her barking, I probably wouldn't have even made it out here in time."

"Like I said – "

"Hey, are you alright?" The boy's attention was now directed at Amaya.

"U-um…" The words still wouldn't come to her. Even if she were able to speak, how on earth would she even be able to answer a question like that? Every subsequent event that occurred just seemed to be even more incomprehensible than the last!

"Hey, it's okay," the boy assured, offering a gloved hand. Amaya gazed up at the blond stranger, now able to study his features more closely. Slightly flushed cheeks specked with freckles and kind azure eyes smiled back at her. "We don't bite!" Angelo let out a few more barks, nudging Amaya's leg with her snout as if to offer some reassurance. Though hesitant, she finally accepted his offer and allowed him to help her up.

"So, what district are you from?" Light inquired, moving to stand with the blond boy in front of Amaya.

"U-uh…" She retracted her hand from the boy's grip, hugging her arms back into her chest.

"You don't have to worry," the boy added. "We might not look like it, but we're Keepers!"

"Speak for yourself," Light retorted coolly.

"We can escort you back home!"

"Home?" Amaya parroted. Could these strangers really take her there?

"Yep!" the boy nodded. "Where might that be for you?"

"Um…" Would it really be okay to tell them? Where would she even start? And would they even believe her tale? The suspicious look the other girl was giving her only made her feel less certain than she already was.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Light inquired, finally breaking the silence.

"Huh?" the boy asked, dumbfounded. "How can you tell?" Amaya tensed up, wanting to ask the same question.

"Open your eyes and look at the way she's dressed," Light responded, pointing a finger at Amaya's floral red sarong. "Have you ever seen a skirt like that before? And besides, look at how out of it she is. Weren't you paying attention when the Cap told us to look out for that?"

"Ohhhhh!" the boy now gasped in realization. "So you're from another world, aren't you?"

"Another world…" Amaya repeated. Was it…really…?

"What should we do?"

"She's coming with us," Light replied. The pink haired girl grabbed Amaya by the wrist.

"N-no wait –" Amaya started, attempting to recoil from the stranger's grip. Where were they trying to take her? What did these people want from her? And how exactly were they so sure she was from another world?!

"Uh, Light, I don't think you need to be so rough," the boy cringed as he watched the two girls struggle against one another. Light was clearly the stronger of the two, and she was probably right about needing to bring the other girl along with them, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as he watched.

"P-please, let…go…" Amaya winced, feeling her bangles practically slicing into her skin at the force of the stranger's clutch. With every step she took back, it seemed the other girl pulled her two forward.

"Can't have you running off," the Light stated. Angelo began barking once more as the two continued to grapple at each other.

"Uh, Light, I really think –"

"Man, we really need to work on your people skills." All three heads turned towards the sound of a new voice, finding the source of it leaning against a nearby building. There, a man stood shaking his head, his hands resting on his hips.

"Captain!" the boy addressed the man. Amaya gulped as the rather intimidating figure began to approach them. He was tall – taller than her father, with a mane of jet black hair and a pair of arms with muscles that rivaled even Riku's older brothers'. The sword at his waist and the scar that marred his cheek only further affirmed that even on a good day, there was no chance of her even attempting to escape from this person.

But when he was finally close enough for her to see the gentleness in his sky blue eyes, somehow, a sense of ease washed over her.

"Lightning, let go of her," the man commanded. The girl obeyed, finally loosening her hold, and Amaya was left flinching. "Did either of you kids even think to offer her a potion? Look at how beat up she is."

"I'm all out," Lightning shrugged.

"Uh, yeah, just used my last one before finding her," the boy explained sheepishly.

"You both are gonna need to learn to stock up," the man sighed as he reached into a pouch at his belt, before he, too, looked flustered. "Uh, well, guess we'll have to get you patched up back at the base, then," he grinned apologetically, attention now turned towards the foreign girl. "So, what exactly happened here?"

"I was just making rounds when I heard the barking," the boy explained. "When I came around here, I saw her and Angelo up in front of a Large Body, so I got rid of it."

"So that's what that commotion was," the man realized. "Gonna need to get you a silencer before we start sending you to residential areas and people start complaining to me about Prompto's gunfire waking them up."

"Uh, right," Prompto nodded as he scratched the back of his neck.

"And you?" the man turned to Lightning.

"I was on it, but he got to it first," she shrugged. "Then we started trying to talk to her."

"What I saw didn't look much like talking." The girl rolled her eyes as the man now faced Amaya. "Sorry about what happened, kid. They didn't mean any harm. I'll be working with them on their manners."

"Hey, I was nice!" Prompto pouted.

"My name's Zack," the man continued with a kind smile. "You mind telling me yours?"

A name wouldn't hurt to reveal, right?

"…Amaya," she finally stated. Though the whole situation was confusing and still left her quite wary, there was something about this man that made her feel…secure.

"Amaya," he repeated, gently resting one of his rather large hands on her shoulder. "What just happened must have been pretty scary, huh?" She nodded meekly. "You must have a lot of questions." She nodded once more. "Well, if it's okay with you, why don't you come along with me? I'll take you to a place where it's safe."

"A place where it's safe?" Amaya repeated skeptically.

"Uh-huh," Zack assured, offering a hand. "There we can get you all checked out, and explain what's going on without having to worry about the Heartless."

"Heartless?"

"That thing Prompto got rid of," Lightning explained.

Heartless…so that was what those creatures were called?

"And we can get Angelo back to her owner," Zack added, noticing the dog now nudging at his legs. "She's probably worried sick about her."

"Um, thank you," Amaya said softly. And while she truly appreciated the offer of shelter, there was one desire that weighed even more heavily in her heart. "Would you…be able to get me home?" All three strangers shared a strained look, before Zack turned his attention back to her.

"I'm sorry Amaya," he started, "but if you ended up here, then…"

"Your world's gone," Lightning finished.

"Light!" Prompto exclaimed.

"What?" she retorted. "I'm only telling it like it is." Zack shot her a wary glance.

"Gone…?" How did she – what was she talking about?!

No! No no no no no!

" _Sis!"_  Sora's scream rang once more in her ears, as the two were flung apart over the remains…of their home.

"B-but…"

"I know it was scary…" were the last of Zack's words she was able to process.

Home…

It really was gone.

But what about Mom, Dad, and Haru?

"Captain, she doesn't look too good…"

Riku?

Kairi?

Sora?!

And once more, the world around her went black.

* * *

A little girl sat at the desk, swinging her feet to the rhythm of the tune she was humming as she focused on the task ahead of her. She drew another crayon, the perfect shade of red to match her hair, before pressing it into the piece of paper upon which she'd been so diligently orchestrating her artwork. Her audience, the abundance of books and bookshelves that surrounded her, stood witness as she glided the color back and forth on top of the final stick figure's head. With that, her masterpiece was complete.

"Kairi!" The creaking sound at the library's entrance accompanied the voice.

"Grandma?" The girl lit up as she spotted the elderly woman approaching her. Next to her walked an all-too-familiar black-haired boy with a bright smile pointed her way. His hands were hidden behind his back, his shoes scuffing against the olive green carpet.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Grandma asked, placing a hand against the girl's forehead.

"I'm fine," she pouted.

"Your temperature has gone down," the old woman chuckled. "If you get a good night's sleep tonight, perhaps you can rejoin us on our walk tomorrow. Would you like that?"

"Yeah!" Kairi beamed, eager to finally be given a chance to re-partake in her favorite pastime after having to sit out for the last couple of days.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it. The gardens look beautiful now that spring has sprung."

"Are all the pretty flowers back?"

"They've been coming," Grandma affirmed. "Speaking of which, I believe your brother has a present here for you."

"For me?" Kairi asked, tilting her head at the older boy.

"Here!" The boy finally revealed his hands, and within his grasp were a few beautiful flowers of the like Kairi had never seen before. Bright yellow pistils were framed by delicate petals, each bud its own unique pastel shade. Altogether, they looked like a rainbow.

"Wow," she gasped, indigo eyes full of wonder as she graciously accepted the gift.

"Do you like it?" her brother asked.

"Yeah!" Kairi confirmed with a nod. "They're so pretty! Thank you!"

"You're welcome," he replied, delighted by the joy he was able to bring to his little sister. "Grandma told me a story about those, you know."

"A story? What was it?" The two children looked up expectantly at their grandmother.

"Oh, go on," Grandma gently nudged the boy.

"Um…" He squinted his eyes as he attempted to recall the woman's words from earlier. "If I give them to someone I really care about, I'll never forget about them. Right, Grandma?"

"That's exactly it," she nodded.

"Aw, but why would you ever forget about me?" Kairi inquired.

"I won't!" the boy vowed with a hand over his chest. "But, when we're bigger, and I become a Keeper and go to different worlds, we might not be together for a little while."

"Or, I can come with you," the girl suggested, apparently not too pleased with the prospect of having to spend bouts of time apart from him in the future.

"But –"

"Well, never say 'never,'" Grandma advised, affectionately placing a hand on each of the children's shoulders. "You won't know what sorts of adventures destiny has in store for either of you until the time comes." Both kids seemed to take her words to heart, as they always did.

"Okay, then," the boy agreed. "But, Kairi, whatever happens…Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you."

"I won't!" she promised, drinking in the scent of her precious gift. She then set the flowers down gently on the desk before picking up a sheet of paper. "I made you something, too!" She held it out to him triumphantly.

"Is this us?" he inquired, examining the drawing closely.

"Mm-hmm! There's you," she pointed to the figure on the left side, clad in what looked to be a black t-shirt and shorts, a mop of ebony hair atop his head. "I'm in the middle." Her finger moved to the center of the picture, where she'd depicted herself with a happy grin and a triangle shaped body. "And there's Ienzo." The figure on the right had a white, boxy body – just like the lab coat the older boy always wore. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah," her brother nodded, accepting the paper to more closely examine her handiwork. "It's really good! Thanks a lot, Kairi!"

"You're welcome!"

"Well, dears," Grandma started, the corners of her eyes crinkling with wrinkles, "it is getting rather late. We should get you two washed up for supper."

"Okay," the boy agreed.

"Um…"

"What is it, darling?" Grandma addressed Kairi.

"Well…I was wondering if, before we go, you could tell us that story again, Grandma?"

"Again, dear?" she laughed, ruffling the girl's auburn hair.

"That's your favorite one, isn't it?" her brother added.

"Uh-huh!" Kairi confirmed. "Please, Grandma?"

"Very well, then," Grandma conceded. "Long ago…"

o-o-o

Indigo eyes creaked open, only to be greeted by the view of the ceiling above, barely distinguishable in the dim lighting. Rays of sunshine seeped through the cracks between the thick curtains, but it was the alarm clock that confirmed that it was not yet time to arise.

Though, as much as he liked his sleep, he knew it would not be very easy to return to it after a dream like that.

Groggily, he sat himself up. He ran his fingers through his jet-black hair as he let out a loud yawn, his silhouette somewhat discernible in the mirror in front of him.

He was a lot bigger and taller now than he was then, so long ago in that dream – no, memory. How long had it been now? A decade? It had happened a little while before the incident, after all: the time his little sister disappeared. Years later, the unknown continued to plague him.

Where was she now? Was she safe? He still had no way of knowing, and the more frequent vivid memories he experienced during his dreams only served to stir the curiosities even more.

Was it possibly a sign that he'd be reunited with her soon?

All he could do was hope.

* * *

"Tifa, hit me."

"How much have you had so far?" the ruby-eyed woman inquired suspiciously.

"Not enough, yo," the red-haired man insisted, sliding the pint glass across the bar towards her. Tifa sighed as she reached for the nozzle to fill it up with another serving of beer.

"I trust you'll keep an eye on him whenever you two head out of here," she addressed the man's companion, the bald man who sat next to him.

"Pfft, if anything,  _I'm_  the one who has to look after Rude." The bald man rolled his eyes at his partner, seemingly not in the mood to engage in his frivolity. "What, you worried about me?"

"Actually, yeah, I am," Tifa affirmed, returning the glass over to him. "You can't tell me you haven't noticed how crazy the Heartless numbers have been lately. I'm surprised it's even as busy as it is in here right now, to be honest." Besides the two guests seated at the bar, there were other people scattered across Seventh Heaven's tables – the woman in the white hood by the window, a group of men she recognized as shop owners from down the block, and a younger couple seated at one of the booths. The bar was by no means full, but it was quite a lively night considering how dead the past week had been.

"Well, can't expect people to stay cooped up forever, yo. People gotta unwind at some point."

"You unwind a little too often, Reno," Rude retorted.

"And you're always with him," Tifa teased.

"Someone has to keep an eye on him."

"Hmph." Reno took a large gulp of his drink. He wiped his mouth before setting the glass down back onto the counter. "Well, since you brought up the Heartless…any idea why there's been so many of 'em?"

"Can't say for certain," Tifa responded, shaking her head.

"More worlds disappearing means more people are losing their hearts," Rude suggested.

"Well that's just a peachy thought," Reno cringed. "We been getting lots of new arrivals or something?"

"It's been a little while," Tifa admitted.

"What, no other worlds left out there or something?"

"If that were the case, we'd have no way of telling," Tifa sighed. "The only star we've seen for the past ten years is the sun, after all."

"Wonder how many there are left up there," Reno contemplated, swigging his drink around in the glass. "A night sky with no light but the moon...Can you imagine?"

"I thought about another possible theory the other day," Tifa cut in. "One that's a little more optimistic than that."

"Oh, did you? Lay it on me."

"Well, remember that meeting with that foreign King we debriefed you on a couple of weeks ago?"

"The one who came around with the first gummi ship we've seen since we've been stranded here, only to fly off with it the moment we find out about it? Don't need to remind me of that, yo."

"He had his reasons," Tifa explained, though even she didn't appear to be very happy about the situation. "Anyway, he tasked us with looking for that 'Key,' right?"

"The Keyblade, you mean?" Reno inquired.

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "Apparently, one of the signs we're supposed to look out for is a spike in Heartless."

"What, are they after it, too, or something?" Reno asked, exasperated by another one of Tifa's affirming nods. "Well that's just great, yo. Any leads?"

"Like I said, there haven't been any new arrivals for a little while now. But, we're keeping our eyes peeled for it."

"The Keyblade, huh?" Reno repeated once more. "Well, I guess Zack would know better than any of us, huh? Did ya mention this to him?"

"He's aware. We've been telling the other Keepers to make sure to be on the lookout, so now you guys are in the know, too."

"Gotcha." He took another sip.

The sudden clamor behind the door to the stairwell caught their attention.

"Tifa!" The door swung open, and a frazzled girl with highlighted dark hair emerged, panting. "Whoa, it's busy in here today," she observed, caught off guard by the many simultaneous glances aimed in her direction.

"Everything okay, Rinoa?" Tifa inquired.

"Have you seen Angelo?" Rinoa responded, now approaching the bar counter. "She was cuddled up with me when I went to bed, but I just woke up to go to the ladies' room, and she was gone! I looked all upstairs for her and everything!"

"Sorry, I don't think I've seen her."

"How about you guys?" she addressed the two men, who were shaking their heads. She then let out a frustrated groan.

"Make sure you arm up if you're going to go looking for her," Tifa advised.

"Of course. I just don't get why she went out there in the first –"

" _Woof! Woof!"_

"Angelo?!" Rinoa cried, recognizing her dog's bark. She turned to see the pooch hobbling in her direction. "There you are girl! Where did you go?!" Relieved, she squatted down to begin affectionately mussing her beloved pet's fur.

"It's a long story." It seemed everyone present turned their attention to the blond standing in the doorway. Rays of sunlight bled into the rather dim interior of the bar, causing some customers to squint.

"Prompto?" Tifa asked, emerging from behind the counter. "Everything okay?" The boy nodded as he stepped in, holding the door open as another person followed him in. "Lightning, too?"

"A few bumps along the way," a voice belonging to a third person rang, "but they were a big help tonight."

"Zack." Tifa watched the man haul himself inside, gasping when she noticed the extra set of arms and legs that appeared to emerge from his body.

"A newcomer, huh?" Reno observed, and it was then that Tifa realized that the limbs did not belong to the captain, but the black-haired girl he was carrying on his back.

"These two found her," Zack explained.

"Actually, Angelo did," Prompto clarified. The dog let out another bark, its tail wagging side to side.

"She's pretty banged up if you couldn't tell," Zack added, turning the attention back to the foreign girl.

"Poor thing," Tifa sympathized as she approached him.

"The second she passed out, a whole new wave of Heartless showed up. It's thanks to these two we're here in one piece, so give 'em a meal on me."

"Ah, it's no trouble, Cap!" Prompto grinned.

"Hmph," Lightning smirked, arms crossed.

"Anything else I should know?" Tifa inquired while she gestured to the empty table next to her for the two teenagers to take.

"All I got was a name," Zack sighed. "Amaya."

"Amaya," Tifa repeated. "Well, I guess that can't be helped. Rinoa, you mind leading them upstairs? She can stay in one of the rooms for now."

"Got it!" Rinoa rose up before heading back towards the stairwell.

"We'll have Rosa take a look at her in the morning," Tifa added.

"Right," Zack replied. "Thanks, Tifa." He made his way across the wooden floorboards and through the tables to follow Rinoa to the designated location as Tifa watched on.

"And we were just talking about how we haven't had a newbie for some time," she heard Reno from back over at the counter. "Talk about coincidences, yo."

A coincidence.

Was that what this was?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! Plot!
> 
> And y'all probably still don't know wtf is going on, huh? Where the hell did all these FF characters come from? And where on earth even is Amaya? (Also I swear that the FF7 remake trailer coming out yesterday is actually just a coincidence lol...but who's hyped?)
> 
> I should probably have an answer to that... *shrugs*
> 
> Haha, in all seriousness, I've been really excited to get to the real start of this story. I know it seems that we're diverging quite a bit from the game here, but I'd like you guys to think of this as more of an expansion on KH's canon - a perspective we haven't seen before. I think things'll become a little more clear to you all as we continue to progress in the story, and I really do hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> That being said, I really would love to hear your thoughts! Liking what you're seeing? I'd love to know! And even if you're not, I'm still open to hearing what you have to say - I genuinely do want to make this story as good as possible, so if you have any constructive criticism to offer, do know that it is welcome at any point.
> 
> Also, if you weren't aware, I've been posting some doodles that go along with the story both on my deviantArt and my new tumblr page, both under the BlissfulNightRain username!
> 
> I am also all caught up here compared to where the story is at on FF.net, so going forward, both uploads will be updated simultaneously. Whoo~


	7. VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More secrets about this strange place Amaya has ended up in are revealed.

" _All I got was a name_ , _"_  the man she'd recognized even all these years later as Zack had sighed, referring to the unconscious girl he was carrying on his back – an apparent new arrival.  _"Amaya."_

"Amaya, huh?" she now repeated aloud, glints of curiosity and golden sunlight flashing across her brown eyes. The woven cloth of her white cloak danced in the breeze, the current a bit stronger atop the roof of Seventh Heaven.

That girl…It wasn't a coincidence, was it? She'd have to make sure.

This could be interesting.

* * *

The curtains had been drawn back, and the perpetual daylight flooded the bedroom. The alarm clock must have gone off at least thrice by this point, and each time its snooze button was met with a lazy slap. Occasionally, he'd hear the dull echo of his name being called from a few rooms away – he responded by huddling himself further into his fort of sheets and pillows. It wasn't until his nostrils picked up the delicious aroma that Noctis was finally motivated enough to pull his head out from under the covers, and the distant sound of sizzling only enticed his senses further. Deciding it was worth investigating, he stumbled out of bed and lugged himself over to its source.

One nice thing about living in such a small apartment was that no two areas were very far away from one another.

"Mornin', Ignis," Noctis yawned, groggily scratching his belly as he finally entered the kitchen.

"Ah, so you're finally up, Noct," the bespectacled older boy manning the stove responded. "About time. I was beginning to think I'd have to resort to other means."

"Well, here I am," Noctis waved him off with another yawn. "What's cookin'?"

"Thought I'd try my hand my hand at a new recipe this morning," Ignis explained, cracking a few eggs into a frying pan. " _Croque Madame._ "

"A Madam who now?"

" _Croque Madame_ ," Ignis repeated, grabbing slices of bread out of the toaster. "An open faced breakfast sandwich with some high-end cheese, ham, eggs, lettuce – "

"You can keep the green stuff out of mine."

"Very well, then," Ignis sighed. If only there was a way to get the younger boy to understand the benefits vegetables provide and all the vitamins and minerals he'd be missing out on. After nearly a decade of failed attempts, perhaps it really was a lost cause. Still, that didn't mean the boy should be allowed to stand idly by while he did all the work. "If you wouldn't mind, could you lend me a hand?"

"Sure," Noctis agreed, holding his arms over his head to stretch. "What do you need?"

"Setting the table would certainly be of help."

"On it." Noctis waded over to an overhead cabinet, feet padding against the cool tile floors. The wooden door opened with a creak as he reached for the porcelain platters, and suddenly a question arose. "Say, Prompto not back yet?"

"Awfully quiet, isn't it?" Ignis observed, transferring the eggs from the frying pan to atop three individual slices of crispy toast, already topped with the other ingredients needed for the dish. "Haven't heard him come in yet, no, but I wouldn't be too concerned. I wager he'll be back soon."

"Hrmph." Deciding to agree - he was under the Captain's watch today, after all - Noctis grabbed three plates, and then fished through the drawers for cutlery before setting them onto the small wooden table that divided the kitchen from the den area.

As dishes clinked and water rushed into the sink and chairs were dragged around, the front door squeaked open, and a familiar head of blond hair poked through.

"There you are, Prompto," Noctis greeted.

"See? No cause for concern," Ignis assured, setting the main course in the center of the table.

"Aww, were you worried about me, Noct?" Prompto clutched his chest in a dramatic fashion.

"Well, it  _is_  you, after all," Noctis shot back with a smirk. Prompto, kneeling down to untie his boots, simply pouted.

"You returned just in time for breakfast," Ignis remarked as he seated himself. "You must be hungry after your first night shift."

"It does smell good," Prompto nodded, making his way to join his roommates. "What is it?"

"Crocodile Martyr or something, right?" Noctis was already digging at his serving with a knife.

" _Croque Madame,"_  Ignis quickly clarified, shooting him a glare from behind his glasses. "Do let me know what you think of it."

"Don't mind if I do," Prompto sang, pulling out a chair for himself. He helped himself to a piece, knife and fork clanking against his plate as he cut off a morsel. The moment he took a bite, he was transported; the crunchy toast and the velvety toppings danced in harmony along his tongue, and his taste buds sang to the tunes of the savory-sweet flavors.

"Well, how is it?" Ignis inquired, carefully gauging the reactions of his comrades.

"Eleven out of ten. Wouldn't expect anything less from ya, Iggy!" Prompto gave an enthusiastic thumb's up.

"Yeah, this is really good," Noctis nodded, his plate already half empty. Ignis' lip curled into a triumphant smirk.

"I think I'll save the rest of this for later, though," Prompto yawned.

"Oh?" Ignis cocked up a brow.

"Yeah, I'm beat," Prompto explained. "Besides, I had a bite not too long ago with Light." This time, it was Noctis who gave him a look.

"A date while you guys were on duty?" Noctis snorted. "How did you manage that? And with Light of all people?"

"D-Date?!" Prompto coughed, face suddenly flushed. "N-No, no, it wasn't anything like that! It was on the Cap!"

"Well, the Captain is known for being a bit of a lax Casanova himself at times," Ignis pondered aloud. "Not too far of a stretch of the imagination that he'd be willing to aid an underling in his pursuits – "

"I'm telling you, it wasn't like that!" Prompto vigorously shook his head. "I don't even like Light that way!"

"Oh?"

"It's kind of a long story." Prompto went on to detail his rather eventful shift. The strange barking noise that had turned out to be Angelo, the Large Body that had been standing over her, and that girl, who'd turned out to be an outsider –

"A foreign girl?" Noctis interjected with a rather hopeful expression.

"Sorry, Noct," Prompto shook his head solemnly.

"Right…" The black-haired boy sunk into his seat, shoulders slightly slumped. Prompto couldn't help but feel for his best friend, in the same boat as countless others in this foreign land. Sure, he himself had also been cast here from the same world of origin, but he'd lacked the ties – familial or otherwise – that they'd all had and missed. In fact, it wasn't until they'd come to this place that he'd actually formed bonds of any sort of those semblances.

"So, anything we should be made aware of in regards to this new arrival?" Ignis inquired, taking a sip of his coffee. "Anything particularly noteworthy about her?"

"Hm…" Prompto pondered. "Well, she was kinda pretty."

"Objectively helpful information, specifically."

"Uh, well, nothing really beyond that." He scratched the back of his neck. "She was kinda out of it – had this dazed look in her eyes pretty much the whole time before she passed out. If anything, I just felt really bad for her."

"Understandable," Ignis nodded. "It appears she's currently in the same shoes as we once were. I'm sure we can all empathize."

"It's weird though, isn't it?" Noctis suddenly piped back up. "We haven't had a new person in a while, right? Gladio mentioned something about that the other day when we were on duty together."

"Yes, that is the case indeed." Ignis swirled the coffee around in his mug. "Though, this isn't the first time this has occurred."

"What do ya mean?" Prompto yawned, the lack of sleep finally catching up to him.

"The rates at which refugees appear in this world does vary from time to time," the older, more experienced teen explained. "Sometimes we get a steady stream of their influx, and other times it's more akin to a trickle. And then there are instances of drought where we get none at all - as we were prior to this development."

"Any idea why that is?" Noctis asked.

"Hm, well...there are some recent developments that I caught wind of a day or two ago that may shed some light on that."

"Rumors? Like what?"

"Apparently, it's classified information."

"Classified?!" Prompto rapidly blinked the tiredness away from his drooping eyes, now invested in the conversation. "How'd ya manage that?"

"Happening to be in the right place at the right time is a rather delicate art," Ignis responded cryptically. "It is, however, from my understanding that the Captain and our other senior Keepers do intend to divulge some of this information to us eventually, on a need-to-know basis."

"'Need-to-know?'" Noctis parrotted, shoulders stiffening slightly.

"Meaning we will be debriefed on whatever is pertinent to our role in taking care of the Borough. All other information is supposed to be kept top-secret for the time being."

"But...you know all of that, Iggy?" Prompto inquired, leaning in.

"Whether it's 'everything' or not, I can't quite say," Ignis clarified. "I can humor you with what I've heard, though do take it with a grain of salt."

"We're all ears!" Prompto responded. Noctis simply nodded.

"Well, where to begin? From what I gather, it happened a few weeks prior, when our world received a rather peculiar-sounding visitor."

"A visitor?" Noctis cocked his head to the side. "Like...someone who came here of their own will?"

"Precisely." Noctis' eyebrows knitted together.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?!" Prompto nearly fell out of his chair. "When? How?!"

"It appears he was the King of his homeland, and he arrived here using a gummi ship - yes, the very same vessels the Keepers would use for travel back when we resided in the Garden," Ignis explained, as Noctis and Prompto exchanged yet another baffled look. "Their visit was brief, however, though they did impart some valuable information on the affairs of the outside world."

"T-the outside…" Noctis muttered through gritted teeth, jaw clenched as he processed the information. "And...just  _why_  exactly was this information being withheld from me -  _u-us_ , at all in the first place?" Though he was trying to keep his composure, the irritation was evident in his tone. "Aren't we all supposed to be in the know? We're on the front lines protecting this place, so shouldn't we be aware of what's actually going on in it?" He clenched his fists under the table.

"Noct…" Prompto shot his best friend a concerned look.

"I do understand your frustration, Noct," Ignis sighed. "If we still resided in Radiant Garden, perhaps this situation would have been handled and called to your attention differently. But the fact of the matter is - "

"Is that we're not home," Noctis huffed. "We're here, and that's just the way it is."

"That is how it has been, yes," Ignis agreed. "But that might not be the way it has to be forever." Noctis finally looked up. "To continue where I left off: this visitor made mention of the current affairs of the outside world, and according to his intel, the situation is quite dire. As we were able to surmise based on the ever-proliferating Heartless' presence, more worlds continue to fall to darkness, and more hearts are being lost."

"Juuust peachy," Prompto sighed, face falling slightly.

"According to him, however, things need not continue this way. He wishes to restore balance between light and darkness, and in doing so, return the worlds to their original state - including ours."

"So we're apparently on the same team," Noctis concluded. "But is there some sort of game plan? Can't do much if we're stuck here, can we?"

"From my understanding, his instructions to the Captain made no mention of intergalactic travel," Ignis confirmed.

"So, then, what was the point of the visit, then exactly? Tell us something we already know, only to taunt us by flying off with a gummi ship that we could actually use to find - "

"And it is likely due to this sort of knee-jerk reaction that the Captain decided to withhold this bit of information," Ignis sighed, pushing his spectacles back against the bridge of his nose. "No, there is not much we can actively do outside of this world as of right now, given the circumstances. The King himself has his own plans, and it appears us Keepers aren't to get directly involved. But, there is one thing the King has apparently tasked us with: to look out for a certain 'Key.'"

"'Key?'" Prompto repeated. "Something tells me we're not talkin' house keys here."

"That's likely correct," Ignis affirmed. "Though what form of 'Key' that was specifically referred to, or what its exact purpose is, I cannot say. It's quite possible that it's some sort of object that may appear with a new arrival."

"Hm, the Cap didn't mention anything like that when he was helpin' out with that girl."

"Perhaps they checked her out at the base. She is there, correct?" Prompto nodded in response.

"So that girl might be the 'Key?'" Noctis mused. "Or at least have something like that; a sort of object or power that can restore balance to the worlds."

"Certainly possible." Ignis took a sip of his coffee. "Of course, this is all conjecture - we have no way of confirming based on that alone. And with the very possible chance that it's not this girl, perhaps we're waiting for someone else, which segues us right to the original point: where and how often refugees spawn."

"And how exactly does that tie into this?"

"The King mentioned he'd have to make one more stop before seeing to his grand plan."

"Another stop?" Prompto asked. "Meaning?"

"His visit here was a brief one, a means to pass on instructions pertinent to this world because of its rather special existence. If he were to make a stop in another location to pass on these same directions, then perhaps it might not be too far of a stretch of the imagination to believe that there might be another world that exists along the same vein as this one."

"Wait a sec," Noctis interjected. "'Special existence' - meaning the fact that refugees show up here?"

"Precisely," Ignis nodded.

"So what? Are you saying that there...might be another world, like this one, where this King may be making a pit stop?"

"Ohhhhh," Prompto blinked as he processed the information. The lack of sleep wasn't quite allowing him to think straight. "And, uh...That means what exactly?"

"Perhaps not everyone who loses their world ends up in this place," Ignis summarized. "There's a chance that there's another world, or possibly several, that open their doors to those who have lost their homes."

"And where you end up after losing your home is like a crapshoot between them…?" Noctis gasped. "Wait, if that's the case - "

"It's not impossible," Ignis affirmed.

"Wait, what are we talking about now?" It took every fiber of Prompto's being to stifle a yawn.

"Aside from the fact that this 'Key' might end up in this other world, there's a chance that maybe...other people from our world…"

"May have wound up in this other haven," Ignis concluded Noctis' thought once more.

"And you're telling me we're expected to just sit around here, if that really is the case?" Noctis piped up.

"Remember, Noct, this is all speculation," Ignis reiterated. "There is no proof to confirm any of these claims."

"And there's no way we're going to find out unless we get out there," Noctis retorted.

"Which we have no way of doing."

"Because any chance of being able to do that just flew right out of sight and over most of our heads," Noctis grumbled, still resenting the secrecy of it all.

"I'm really…" Prompto couldn't hold back anymore and finally let out a huge, lion-like yawn. "You know what? Instead of translating whatever language you guys just spoke, I think I'm better off headed to bed."

"That would serve you well after a long night out," Ignis agreed as Prompto excused himself and trotted back over towards his bedroom. Noctis leaned back in his seat, indigo eyes glued to his still-half-empty plate.

"I recognize that you're upset, Noct," Ignis began as he gathered his and Prompto's dishes to begin clearing the table, "but do remember: while we may question his judgements at times, the Captain has nothing but our best interests at heart. Without him, we wouldn't be here, much less exist in any world at all."

"Yeah, but still…" Noctis reluctantly sighed.

"If you do live up to all the buzz you've been generating, then you'll be a more than reliable Keeper in your own right soon enough." Ignis stood, dishes in tow. "And the Captain hasn't forgotten who you are. Before you know it, he will very likely consider you as one of his top confidants."

"We'll see," Noct reluctantly agreed, as Ignis made his way over to the sink.

The fact that he was apparently still being kept in the dark still bothered him, yes, but…

This other world, with the special properties that paralleled the ones they were on - did it truly exist? Could...it be possible that…?

Perhaps there really was a glimmer of hope after all?

* * *

" _Sis!"_  Sora desperately cried out, attempting to reach her once more.

" _Sora!_ " Amaya shrieked, trying with all her strength to grasp back, but to no avail.

And then, one last time, everything disappeared.

It was over.

And then black turned to red, and something soft and warm was prodding at her hand. No, this wasn't something – it was some _one_.

"S-Sora?" Amaya mumbled, scrunching her eyelids tight before finally creaking them open. She was greeted by the sight of something bright and white above her – a ceiling? Whatever she was laying on was soft, and the sheets covering her were warm…a bed, she was lying in a bed. And the hand that was prodding hers belonged to – "Wh-who…?"

"It's alright," assured the young woman standing at her bedside, in a bedroom that she realized wasn't her own as her eyes darted around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Where…?"

"You're safe," the girl explained gently. Amaya glanced up at her, her green eyes meeting this person's nearly-black irises. She blinked several times as she tried to place who they belonged to, until she finally realized...this was someone she'd never met before, someone she didn't know.

A stranger.

As soon as the realization hit, Amaya quickly extracted her hand from the stranger's probing digits before hastily pulling the sheets up and over herself as a line of defense. She huddled herself beneath the barrier, finding it strange that she was shivering despite the warmth it should have been providing her with. From the other side, she could hear the woman mumbling something unintelligible under her breath.

"I don't bite," the woman bargained. Amaya's grip on the sheets only tightened, leading the stranger to sigh dejectedly in response. "I was just making sure your injuries had been properly healed, that's all."

Injuries?

Injuries…

The flashback reel started once more in her head, as scenes from that tumultuous night played out again; and then, she'd woken up to a dog, daylight, a land she didn't recognize, and pain. Lots of pain. Pain that was now gone.

"We had our healer, Rosa, come in earlier to take a look at you," the woman continued to explain. "She patched up all those bumps and bruises you had. I've gotta say, at a glance, you look like you're in much better shape!" Looked better? How had she looked before? Of course, the last time she'd seen herself was in the mirror of her bedroom, when she'd been going through her jewelry box. Her hand snaked its way to her collar bone as she felt for...wait…

"Where is it?!" Amaya shot out from her fort in a panic, the tips of her fingers practically digging into her chest. She'd had it! She definitely had the necklace on that night! And her satchel, and even her sarong - where were they all?!

"Calm down, calm down," the woman beckoned her, gently grasping Amaya's shoulder as her jade eyes darted around the room in a frenzy. "Your stuff's right over there, see? Figured you'd be more comfortable without all of it poking at you while you were trying to sleep." Her eyes followed the direction the stranger was gesturing towards to see a small vanity in the corner. It was as she'd said; the beaded necklace and satchel lay atop it, and her red and white floral sarong was draped over the chair. She suddenly peered down at herself, face flushing slightly before reaching for the sheets once more to hide her unexpectedly exposed thighs, barely covered by the rather short pale yellow dress she was now left in.

A roulette board spun in Amaya's head, the arrow spinning between the hundreds of questions on a spirally, hypnotic wheel.

" _Woof! Woof!"_  The sudden barking noise stopped the reeling arrow short as Amaya's gaze now shifted towards the door. Slightly ajar, it swung open as something darted through the door and practically jumped straight on top of the sheets. Whether the squeaking noise came from her or the bed, Amaya wasn't sure.

"Easy Angelo, easy," the woman said in a gentle tone, fingers running through the dog's rather long, dark fur. Its beady eyes remained fixated on Amaya, and it took her a moment to recognize where she'd seen them before.

"You're the one that found me," Amaya said in almost a whisper, reaching out towards it. Angelo sniffed her hand before sitting, tail wagging back and forth happily.

"Looks like she's taken a liking to you," the woman said. She took a seat of her own along the edge of the bed, brushing some of her caramel-highlighted hair out of her face before scratching behind the canine's floppy ears. Angelo let out a pleased whine.

"...Is she yours?" Amaya cautiously asked, now reminded of her pursuit for the creature's owner...however long ago that was.

"Uh-huh!" the woman cheerily nodded. Her dark, down-turned eyes then widened. "Oh, where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself to you yet, have I?" Amaya meekly shook her head. "My name's Rinoa!"

"Rinoa," Amaya repeated, tasting the rather unusual name on her unseasoned palette. The woman nodded once more, a hearty smile plastered on her pink lips. She seemed kind enough, but… "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm one of the Keepers," she explained. The green-eyed girl gave her a blank stare. "We're like...security guards? Though I guess there's a bit more to it than that!"

"Those people that found me...they were Keepers, too, weren't they?"

"Yep! They were the ones that brought you here."

"Here...Where exactly is…'here'?"

"Our base! Some of us live here, and some of us hang around here between shifts. It's a safe place."

"Th-That's not quite what I mean," Amaya clarified. "I just...This place feels a lot different from my Island. Unless this place was uncharted? I don't think I've ever read about it, or seen it on any maps or anything."

"They didn't even explain that to you?" Rinoa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, I guess it can't be helped." She paused for a moment before piping up once more. "You asked the question, so I'll answer: This world isn't the one you call your home. You're in a place called the 'Wayward Borough', a world that opens itself up to people who've lost their own."

"The 'Wayward Borough'..." There was definitely wasn't a place on the Island with that name, at least not to Amaya's knowledge. So that cold girl from earlier hadn't been lying, she really was in another world! But…"Wh-why...H-how did I…?"

"Take a deep breath, Amaya," Rinoa instructed, seeing the girl's complexion paling. Amaya gulped before complying, composing herself just barely enough to finally form a coherent question.

"What happened...to my home?" A deep breath. "There were all these monsters, and it was really,  _really_  dark, and Riku and Kairi...they disappeared...And Sora! My little brother! I was with him!" She looked down at her hand; the scratches he'd left on her knuckles were now gone, but they'd definitely been there! Proof they were together at that final moment! "Where is he?! Where is - "

"I'm sorry, Amaya," Rinoa took her hand sympathetically. "But...I really don't know." Her lips continued to move, but all semblance of sound ceased to reach Amaya's ears. Her vision began to blur, her cheeks suddenly wet with salty tears, her body wracked with sobs. Then came the woman's warm embrace, the dog's cold nose nuzzled against her shoulder, but none of that solved her problems.

Her home, her island, her loved ones...

Rinoa did what she could, trying to comfort the poor girl. She held her tight, rubbing circles on her back as she coughed and shuddered. Angelo did her best, too, but the girl was inconsolable.

Just as Rinoa began to wonder if this girl would cry herself to sleep, her sobs gradually began to turn into slow, raspy breaths, the shakes less frequent. Eventually, she extracted herself from her grasp. Strands of ebony hair were plastered against her dampened face, eyes glassy and reddened.

"I...j-just…"

"I know," Rinoa nodded, gently squeezing her shoulders. "Let's take it one step at a time. You've just been through a lot, after all." A few more choked sobs came out, but this time, Amaya was able to regain some composure. "How about you take a little time to decompress? Maybe have some rest and get cleaned up? We can talk a little bit more when you're ready."

"Um...okay…"

"I can close the shutters for you and darken up the room if you'd like."

"N-No, that's okay," Amaya responded rather quickly. Even if she were in the mood to get some sleep - a concept she could barely fathom at this point with all that weighed in her mind - the idea of laying in a place where she couldn't make out her surroundings…

...Where she might not be able to see if one of those monsters came back for her…

"Alright, then," Rinoa complied, much to Amaya's relief. "There's a bathroom right over there," she pointed to a door in the corner of the bedroom, "with a shower and towels and everything, if you want to get cleaned up. But take all the time you need. When you're all set, feel free to come downstairs. We can talk more then."

"Okay…"

"Just holler down if you need anything. Anything at all."

"S-sure. Um, thank you, Rinoa." The woman shot her another hearty smile before exiting her room. Her long, dark hair swayed, and Amaya noticed a strange insignia embedded on the back of her blue duster: white wings.

"Come on, Angelo!" The dog climbed out of Amaya's lap with a happy bark, scurrying to join her owner. And finally, she was alone.

Still so many questions loomed over her, and though the temptation was still there, continuing to cry wasn't going to solve any of her problems. Rinoa's advice came back to her from earlier, and she took a few deep breaths to try and clear her mind.

Sitting around here, isolated, definitely wasn't going to get her any answers. Using her fingers to wipe away the sweat and tears from her face, she then swung her legs over the side of the bed, the soles of her feet touching the cool hardwood floor.

At least that feeling was familiar.

She then made her way over to the vanity, where her possessions were - all the mementos she had from her original world, she now realized. Her hand first went to the shark tooth necklace, fingers running over the smooth pendant.

' _You can have it, Sis!'_  Sora's boyish voice rang in her head. Grasping at the beads, she couldn't help but wonder what could have been if she'd held onto him.

If only she hadn't let go of his hand! For all he'd done for her, all she had to do was hold on to him! The one thing, the  _one_ job she had, and she couldn't do it! And now, he was...He was...

"Sora, I'm so sorry," she whispered, failing to blink back tears once more.

But  _he'd_  been the brave one! He was the one that had saved her that night, the one who'd defeated all the monsters...and that mystery sword! Had the universe really handed it to him in whatever enigmatic manner, only to end him right then and there?

End him…

Amaya shook her head furiously. "You don't know for sure!" she told herself, wiping her face once more. Even Rinoa had said she didn't have all the answers! It was going to be a game of waiting and seeing.

Hopefully...somewhere out there, he and everyone else were okay.

Finally drawing her gaze away from the necklace, she looked up at herself in the mirror. The image wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be; sure, her hair was a giant mess, and her skin and lips had seen better, more hydrated days, but any bruises or scratches she was sure she'd had weren't visible. Rinoa had mentioned a healer had come by to look at her, and a wave of curiosity washed over her as she wondered what kinds of methods she might have used. Something told her it was something more intricate than the first aid kit she carried around with her?

Magic, possibly?

Well, stranger things had certainly happened.

It was after the physical inspection was complete that she finally met her reflection's eyes. Round and almond-shaped like her own, there was something off about them.

This look...she'd seen it before, in another pair of eyes. But those eyes were not her shade of green, but indigo, and had belonged to a girl who had been much, much younger.

" _Remember now, kids,"_  Daddy began, squatting before the three of them, " _ya gotta be real nice. This little girl has probably been through a lotta scary stuff, and she doesn't really know anybody here yet."_

" _But she'll know us!_ " Sora practically bounced in his sandals. " _We'll be her friends! Right, guys?!"_

_"Yeah,"_  Riku nodded.

" _Mm-hmm!_ " Amaya responded a little more enthusiastically, excited at the prospect of  _finally_  being able to have a girl around.

" _Alright, then,_ " Daddy chuckled before turning to ring the buzzer at the gate. As he conversed with the guard over the speaker, Amaya couldn't help but marvel at all the grandeur. The only houses she'd seen that were this big were the ones in the bedtime stories Mommy would read to her and Sora.

" _It's like a fairytale_ ," she sighed dreamily.

" _You think she'll be like a princess or something?"_  Sora asked, sapphire eyes widening. It certainly would work out well - now Amaya wouldn't have to play the role every time he and Riku wanted to pretend to be pirates.

" _Maybe she was one on her world,_ " Riku suggested. He'd expressed curiosity about the girl's origins ever since they'd found out about her mysterious arrival then on the night of the meteor shower, this just another addition to his already many theories.

" _Come on, kids,_ " Daddy beckoned them to follow him to the ornate front door. Not long after he knocked, a woman opened it up to answer. Amaya remembered the lady from the Summer Festival, where she'd stood by the Mayor's podium as he gave that really long speech. The diamond on her left hand was the hugest Amaya had ever seen, and it glistened under the sunlight as she gestured for the children to follow her up the grand staircase in the middle of the foyer.

The children's wandering, astonished gazes finally met the door at the end of the hallway on the second floor. Lightly, the Mayor's wife rapped against it before creaking it open.  _"Kairi?_   _I have some visitors for you._ " She then stepped aside to allow the trio to head in. Sora was the first, crossing the doorway without a second thought. Riku and Amaya exchanged a glance before following.

Standing in the center of the room was a girl of the likes Amaya had never seen before. Her hair was the prettiest shade of deep red, and her porcelain skin made her look like a doll.

And then there were her eyes, a deep blueish-purple not unlike the darkest part of the rainbow. But it wasn't the striking color that caught Amaya's attention. It was the hollowness, the daze, the glazed-over look in them.

The same look she now saw in her own, as she stood here ten years later having gone through her own scary stuff, not really knowing anyone around her yet.

She found herself grieving again. For her home, for her family, for Sora, for Riku, and for Kairi – her best friend who'd felt the agony she was feeling now, and who'd now had to lose everything that had been dear to her twice.

* * *

"Rinoa, a small burden, if you don't mind?"

"Come on, Cecil, you really think fetching you a cup of water is gonna be any skin off my nose?" she teased as she reached behind the bar for a glass.

"Much obliged," he chuckled after she slid it across the counter towards him. He held it up to his purple-tinged lips to take a sip. As he glugged it down, a loud mechanical whine sounded from the corner of the dining area.

"Mornin'!" Rinoa sang. Cecil turned to see Tifa emerging from the hidden platform beneath that janky device the Radiant Garden people called a "pinball machine." "Sleep well?"

"Can't complain," the ruby-eyed woman yawned and stretched before making her way over to the counter. "Thanks for filling in."

"Well, can't let you work yourself into a zombie!" Rinoa cupped the other woman's face. "You're in the prime of your youth! You need your beauty sleep!"

"I must agree, Tifa, you do work yourself quite hard," Cecil nodded.

"It can't really be helped," Tifa sighed, looking down at her scuffed leather gloves. Even a simple flex of her fingers showed all the cracks and gaps at the knuckles, and hundreds of scratches decorated the armor that protected her forearms. "Though, with all these young ones coming up into the ranks, we might all catch a little bit of a break soon."

"Yes, an influx of youthful talent might be just what we need. Speaking of, I heard we had a new, quite young arrival."

"She's not much older than we were when we came to this place," Rinoa mused. "Oh, but, Rosa did stop by earlier and patched her all up! Please give her our thanks."

"Will do."

"How is she, Rinoa?" Tifa asked, joining her behind the bar.

"Not all rainbows and butterflies, that's for sure," Rinoa sighed. "Wasn't able to ask any questions, either, since she was crying so much."

"Poor thing."

"No news on whether or not she might be the 'Key' we're looking for, I gather?" Cecil inquired.

"Not that I could tell." Rinoa shook her head. "She had some items I'd never seen before in that little bag of hers, but I'm assuming it's just random stuff from her original world. She did mention she comes from an Island, though."

"An Island, huh? Those do seem appealing from what I've read about them, though Baron didn't have anything quite like that."

"Nothing in the Garden, either," Tifa recalled. "Anyway, sounds like this might be an ongoing thing for a little while, then. We'll of course keep you posted if we learn anything important."

"You have my thanks."

"How's everything going down on your side of things?" Rinoa asked. "You're on duty today with  _him_ again today, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Cecil gave a curt nod.

"Anything we should be aware of on that front?" Tifa questioned.

"I've got my eye on him. My reminders tend to keep him in line, but of course, if something goes awry, you will be made aware."

"The power of darkness…I wonder if there even is a way to wield it safely."

"Being a former user myself, and having had to witness the fall of my world at its hand…It's something that I can't quite confirm." He finished the remainder of his water before standing up from the stool. "Though I hate to leave on such a dreary note, I should get going. Thank you again, you two."

"No prob!" Rinoa exclaimed, grabbing his glass to wash.

"Take – " Tifa was interrupted by the sound of the door to the stairwell creaking open.

"Oh, you're up!" Rinoa was surprised when she laid her eyes on the new girl who, a few hours later, had finally emerged. Though her eyes were still slightly swollen, she appeared to be in much better shape with her clothes now in order, the strange necklace back around her neck, and her thick hair now fastened in place with a red ribbon to hold the loose braid she kept in it.

Amaya's eyes darted around the new territory. Tables and chairs lined the floor, though none were occupied, and three people stood by the bar counter. She'd recognized Rinoa from earlier, of course, but now she was accompanied by two strangers. One was another woman with long, dark hair, and something about her garb rang similar to Rinoa's clothing.

Then there was the other man standing by the stools. She couldn't help but shudder under the gaze of his amethyst eyes, and the almost haunting pale skin. He was clad in an elaborate armor from head to toe, like a castle knight.

"Um…good day." Amaya found herself curtsying in the rather intimidating man's presence. Her face burned red when she realized her body had moved itself on its own – though, who could blame her?! That's what they did in all the books, right?!

A hearty laugh rang out, and Amaya looked up to see the man approaching her, his armor squeaking with every step he took. Before she could apologize for making a mockery of herself, he took her hand.

"Good day to you, as well," he greeted, placing a tender, gentlemanly kiss on the back of her knuckle. Once more, he chuckled as he saw the girl's flushed cheeks. "It's been quite a while since I've been greeted in such a formal manner. It's quite refreshing, actually!"

"Tifa, you should start greeting the customers that way!" Rinoa commanded.

"Huh?!" she responded, taken aback at the sudden suggestion.

"It would certainly feel more…homely?" Cecil mused.

"This is a bar, not some sort of host club," Tifa deadpanned. "Anyway, do you really have time to be standing around here, Cecil?"

"Oh, you're right! I should be on my way." He then turned to Amaya. "I do wish you the best of luck."

"Th-Thank you," she responded, watching after him as he headed towards the exit. It was there she noticed the large, transparent glass windows. Sunlight bled through them, providing natural lighting for the space, like it had during the time she spent up in that bedroom. But that didn't make sense, not unless… "U-Um, just how long exactly have I been here for?"

"Hmm, about half a day, I think?" Rinoa guessed.

"Oh…" And during all that time, it appeared the sun hadn't moved at all from its peak position in the sky? "Are nights here really short, or something? I could swear that it was just as bright when I, um, first got here."

"Sure picked up on that pretty quickly," the other woman, who was now wiping down the bar counter, responded. She paused for a moment to give her full attention to the younger girl. "Actually, there's no nighttime at all here."

"None…at all?" Rinoa and the strange woman shook their heads.

"You get used to it after a while!" Rinoa reassured her. A world without a nighttime, no moon and stars in sight…

How was that even possible? An altered day and night cycle was never something she even considered when she thought of other worlds!

"We don't know how it works, either," Tifa seemed to be responding to the rather bewildered expression on Amaya's face. "But, in the almost decade we've spent here, that's just the way it's been."

"A decade? So you guys aren't from here, either?"

"Looks like we're up in the hot seat, huh?" Rinoa teased.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean – "

"Well, it is normal to have so many questions after everything that's happened." Tifa shot her a warm smile. "Why don't you take a seat? Rinoa and I will tell you as much as you want. To the best of our abilities, of course."

"Would that really be alright?" Amaya inquired. The two women nodded, and so she took the barstool that Tifa was gesturing towards.

This was it. A chance to finally get some answers.

"To your question about us not being from here: You're right. We lost our home world, too. Seems like ages ago now."

"Did those monsters attack your home, too?" Amaya inquired. She gulped, recalling the hundreds of glowing eyes that peered up at her and her brother as they ran, ran, ran as fast as they could.

"You mean the Heartless?" Rinoa asked. 'Heartless'…that's what the boy with the gun had called the one he'd saved her from.

"Yeah…They were on my world, and then I ran into a huge one when I got here. Are they just everywhere?"

"Sure seems that way," Tifa responded. "Like you guessed, the Heartless are the ones that wrecked our home. They destroyed Cecil's – the man you met earlier – too. They did it to yours, and just about anyone else who's shown up in this place."

"But…why? Just what are they, exactly?"

"Those without hearts," Rinoa answered, gaze glued to the glass she was polishing. "The darkness in people's hearts – that's what attracts them." Her black eyes then looked back up at Amaya. "And there is darkness within every heart."

"So…if you have a heart, you're a target?" Amaya felt the blood draining from her face as Rinoa confirmed her fears true. "But there are Heartless here, too, aren't there? Why is this world still here?"

"Worlds themselves have hearts, too, believe it or not," Tifa chimed in. "A world disappears when the Heartless are able to get through the door the heart of the world, and destroy it."

' _The door…has opened.'_  A chill ran down Amaya's spine as she recalled Riku's words.

Their world was being destroyed in a literal apocalypse, but there he was: cool, cocky, and confident as ever.  _Too_  confident. But…just how? Why? And where…?

"What about the people? My friends, or family?" Amaya blurted, finally asking the one question she'd been most desperate for an answer to. Remembering Rinoa's response from earlier, she looked up hopefully at the ruby-eyed woman. "Where are they?"

"I'm sorry, Amaya, but that's a question that I don't have the answer to yet," Tifa shook her head.

"But…" Her hands were beginning to shake again.

"Don't lose hope just yet, though," Tifa said encouragingly. "The Keepers are on the lookout, so if someone from your home is here, they'll find them and bring them to us."

"The Keepers…" It seemed with every encounter she had, that name would be brought up.

"We work to fight the Heartless, and protect the people here as best we can," Tifa explained. "If we find one of your friends or family out there, we'll keep them safe. Just like we'll be looking after you, too."

"Yeah," Rinoa agreed. "You can count on us! You're safe here."

Safe…

So that was her current state of affairs. But what about the people who mattered to her most, the ones whose images still burned in her mind every time she blinked, and thoughts of whom would continue to haunt her every breath. Like Mom and Dad? Haru? Riku, Kairi, and Sora?

' _Please…let them be safe, too.'_

And all she could do was pray for hope to be her ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: OH MY GODDDD I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT *bows head in shame*
> 
> Thank you all for bearing with me! I just...really had a bout of writer's block with this one? That, compounded with some life stuff and changes at work kinda threw me for a loop. But we're past that, and here I am! On a mini-vacation, but I am using my wi-fi hotspot so I can get this to you guys ASAP T_T
> 
> One thing that I think kinda held me up with this chapter is the fact that...nothing really happened? And I apologize for that, I know set-up chapters can be a little boring, but I hope you look forward to what's to come! It took me a while to figure out just how much to reveal here in this chapter, and what I still want to keep for later, as well as pose some new questions, so I hope the balance worked out.
> 
> So, the big reveal here: the world we're in, the Wayward Borough! Yep, an original world created for this story. I won't go into too much detail just because I'd rather hear your thoughts on it, but I will say that it was coming up with this idea earlier this year that really sparked my want to spur into writing this story this year. More information to come, of course, if there's any confusion on what the heck is going on! Please do leave feedback, as it helps me know how you guys are feeling with all the concepts and things so far!
> 
> Thank you to my friends and betas who helped look this chapter, as well as to anyone who's left kudos/bookmarks/subscribed! It really means a lot!


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